The Official Golf Thread

Puckoon · February 21, 2012, 06:16:33 PM

I've no offical handicap currently but I shot 85 yesterday with the rustiness and I generally shoot 79-82 when I'm playing 3 times a month. I'd say I'm around an 10. I like the feel of them and I was hitting the demo 58 6 iron maybe half a club longer than my current 6 iron on the range yesterday. I'd be happy enough 4-7 with the 58s and 8-PW with the 68s. I would have a bit to go before hitting bladed mid irons - but the high iron blades don't really pose much trouble to me when I hit them. I've just never mixed up a set before.

I see a set of the 58s here on Amazon for $589. Everywhere else is $1000.

heganboy · February 21, 2012, 07:57:05 PM

shooting 79-82 isn't a 10 handicap, its probably a 6 or less depending on the course, ya feckin sandbagger ( www.csgnetwork.com/golfhcapcalc.html )

The mixed sets are gaining a lot of ground, a lot of the titleist playing pros going for an AP2 on their longer irons, and then a couple of hybrids below that.

Puckoon · February 21, 2012, 08:07:13 PM

I'm definitely not in single digits with any regularity - and it also depends on the course. I'm generally a low 80s scorer with 1 or 2 breaks of 80 a year (again - depending on the course). I'm a mid to high 80's scorer at the start of every year.

Don't talk to me about sandbaggin - I've a friend at work who's index is 9. He regularly shoots 69-73 - but almosts never posts those scores ("Oh I picked up a few putts", or "I was working on something"). I watched him card 7 birdies in a round once and he's "still a 9". I told him if he turned up to play a competition at home or something and told someone he was a 9 and then played his round - he'd be chased. In his defence he can also "blow up and shoot an 82" here and there - but he's such a great feckin golfer I hate to see him playing off 9. I think he's unwilling to let the handicap go down as he'd win less in his many tournaments, but I also think he's scared to let it go down as he is prone to the odd blow up. I never understand it - considering most people here only talk about their gross scores anyway. If he's a 9 - I'm definitely a 15.

heganboy · February 21, 2012, 08:47:55 PM

Its funny about handicapping in general, there's those who just play whatever their index is, the usual sandbaggers, and there's a few guys I play with from time to time that are "vanity handicappers". They declare themselves to be a 6 or a 7 and then will card a 90 or a 95 and then give some auld crap about trying something on their swing, or wind was fierce changeable or some other nonsense, they seem to think their handicap says something about them.

I have been playing the game maybe 5 years now, and I'm an 18 (US System), but I have yet to break 90. The problem I have is that my 92 will be a 42 50, not so much of the birdies, but the 7s and 8s kill me. And they always come 3 holes on the trot as I get frustrated and try hero shots to rescue the blow up on the hole before. believe me its worse when you know you're doing it...

Some day soon huh?

Puckoon · February 21, 2012, 09:07:56 PM

Cutting down the 7 and 8's is a huge part - and they still creep back from time to time if you take your eye of the ball (pun intended)! I shot 45, 40 yesterday. My first 9 read 6,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5. with 1 and 4 being double bogeys. Didn't get a look at birdie until 18. I worked a lot last year at course and game management. Figuring out my likely misses and not playing that shot if the likely miss was going to get me in trouble. I'd say that was my biggest factor in going from 85-90 down to 80-85. Sometimes it's "pussy" golf - but it's almost always better for your mind and the rest of your round (and next round, and the next one) - than the snowman on the card. Also spent time working on nailing as many putts inside 6 feet as a I could. I rattled in quite a few yesterday as my iron play and greenside work was awful. This year my goal is to improve my numbers from 10 feet.

One of my partners yesterday went level through 5 and then took an 8 on 6, and another 8 on 7 - and just completely blew up - finishing with a 96. There is something to be said for pussy golf sometimes. After 5 holes I was feeling kinda despondent that my approach play was so bad - but all of a sudden my score was fine compared to him.

The amount of ego associated with the vanity handicapp is kinda funny. It's funny to have the people on either edge of the scale - the vanity guys vs the sandbaggers. I just really only deal in gross scores now - unless I'm playing in a skins game - where ill normally suggest a 12 handicapp for myself... just to be sure to be sure.

P.S. Not sure if you want any kind of a tip, especially on this forum - but after a bad hole I like to go to the next one and figure out a realistic score that will get me back on track. It can even be a bogey. Then I try and work towards that score right off the tee. I'll generally go to my go-to club (a little beat up 5 wood) - put myself in play and take it from there. Works more often than not to banish the bad hole. I think I'd go crazy if I tried to pull the strokes I just lost back on the very next hole with the hero shot.

JimStynes · February 21, 2012, 10:56:14 PM

Puck give the AP2s a go, theyre unreal. I switched from Taylormade to Titleist and would never go back to Taylormade. Great clubs. You should go get fitted for your clubs as well.

DrinkingHarp · February 23, 2012, 12:59:53 AM

World Golf Championship Match Play

Some big upsets based on rankings today

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/leaderboard/2012/174

Orior · February 23, 2012, 09:32:50 PM

The guy who seems to follow Tiger and shouts "GET IN THE HOLE".

I'd love to punch that fecker in the face.

Puckoon · February 23, 2012, 09:53:46 PM

Quote from: Orior on February 23, 2012, 09:32:50 PM
The guy who seems to follow Tiger and shouts "GET IN THE HOLE".

I'd love to punch that fecker in the face.

I am pretty certain I heard some one shout "UP THE DUBS"! after Phil Mickleson hit his approach shot on 18 on Sunday.

thebigfella · February 23, 2012, 11:33:10 PM

yep I heard it too

laoislad · February 24, 2012, 07:23:48 AM

Quote from: Puckoon on February 23, 2012, 09:53:46 PM
Quote from: Orior on February 23, 2012, 09:32:50 PM
The guy who seems to follow Tiger and shouts "GET IN THE HOLE".

I'd love to punch that fecker in the face.
I am pretty certain I heard some one shout "UP THE DUBS"! after Phil Mickleson hit his approach shot on 18 on Sunday.

If it was a real Dub he would have shouted it before and during Micklesons swing.

Orior · February 24, 2012, 10:15:50 PM

The Cacti that have lived in the Arizona desert for thousands of years on miniscules of water must be looking at those greens and thinking "WTF!"

muppet · February 25, 2012, 01:43:20 AM

Quote from: laoislad on February 24, 2012, 07:23:48 AM
Quote from: Puckoon on February 23, 2012, 09:53:46 PM
Quote from: Orior on February 23, 2012, 09:32:50 PM
The guy who seems to follow Tiger and shouts "GET IN THE HOLE".

I'd love to punch that fecker in the face.
I am pretty certain I heard some one shout "UP THE DUBS"! after Phil Mickleson hit his approach shot on 18 on Sunday.
If it was a real Dub he would have shouted it before and during Micklesons swing.

If he was a real Dub he would have been still in the bar outside the course.

Orior · March 01, 2012, 10:05:18 PM

Q. What do you get if you get cross Dickie Rock and Charlie Pride?

A. Dickie Pride http://www.pgatour.com/golfers/010213/dicky-pride/scorecards/#!/r010/2012

JimStynes · March 03, 2012, 05:33:19 PM

P Harrington family tragedy and sponsorship opportunity

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Padraig Harrington is offering all his sponsorship spots to the highest bidder for three weeks - Houston, Augusta and Hilton Head - to raise money for a family member left paralysed following a car accident.
Padraig Harrington is offering millions of euro worth of advertising space to the highest bidder after a family tragedy put his recent golfing troubles in stark perspective.

The 40-year old Ryder Cup star and three-time major winner might have fallen from third to 87th in the world over the past three years, but he admitted in Florida yesterday that his sporting struggles mean nothing after his wife Caroline's first cousin was paralysed for life following a recent road traffic accident.

Father of three Gerard Byrne, a 35-year old painter and decorator and the eldest son on Caroline Harrington's aunt, has been told that he will never walk again after his car hit black ice and skidded off the road in a single-car accident near his Monasterevin home the week after Christmas.

"This is why I never want to complain about golf," Harrington said in Palm Beach Gardens yesterday, where is playing alongside Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods in this week's Honda Classic on the US Tour.

Padraig Harrington in action in Abu Dhabi earlier this season. Photo Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie
"Obviously Gerard will need a lot of assistance in his life - a wheelchair enabled car, renovations to his home and other things - so my current sponsors have agreed to allow me to offer all the branding on my clothing and bag to the highest bidder for three tournaments in March and April.

"If somebody wants to have their branding on the front on my hat or if they want the golf bag or any other place, it's up for auction for that three week spell when I am playing the Shell Houston Open, the Masters Tournament and the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head.

"We already have a bid of €100,000 for the front of my cap and €50,000 for the space on my chest. I am auctioning all my spots for that period and all my sponsors have agreed to give them up. It's all for charity."

Harrington signed endorsement deals with Wilson Golf and FTI Consulting reportedly worth a combined $20 million at the end of 2008. His relationship with FTI Consulting ended in December but he still wears the logos for Wilson Golf, the R&A, Special Olympics and GoS Networks amongst others.

"When Padraig raises the money it will be put into his charitable foundation and then given to Gerard," Caroline Harrington explained. "The Masters is a huge opportunity to raise money because it is the most watched sporting event in the UK and Ireland for sponsorship.

"We don't know what the family will need yet but the idea is to try and raise as much money as possible and members of Gerard's family are organising other fund raising events such as golf day at Craddockstown on May 5."

An avid golfer and the father of three young children - twins Jake and Casey (3 years) and Holly (2) - Mr Byrne was running errand for his wife before going to play golf when his car skidded on black ice and crashed off the road into a field.

"There were no other cars in the scene bar one and they called the fire brigade," Mrs Harrington explained. "It took them an hour to cut him out of the car. There was no other car involved. He actually thought he was dead. He thought he would never see his kids again. He could actually feel the life draining out of him. He said he had made his peace and thought that was it.

"Apparently the emergency services were unbelievable and kept him taking about his kids all the time, just trying to keep him alive.

"They got him out and brought him to Naas General Hospital and he was quickly transferred to the Mater and he's now in the National Rehabilitation Centre in Dun Laoghaire. He broke his collarbone and a lot of ribs but he is paralysed from the C6 (vertebrae) down, which means he has full use of his arms but will never walk again."

Anyone interested in making a bid can contact Padraig through his website padraigharrington.com, his Facebook page or by emailing his agent Adrian Mitchell.