The Golf Thread - 2015

The Golf Thread - 2015

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Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Monday 2nd February 2015
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DuncanM said:
Rosscow said:
A decent golfing weekend!

Had the society prize giving dinner/dance on Saturday night where I picked up a trophy.

Up at 6am this morning for a foursomes Cup competition at the golf club, which my partner and I managed to win!

So another cup to collect at next months golf club dinner.

Absolutely savage winds this morning - 35mph winds gusting to 50mph - really tough conditions but we actually played some nice stuff.

Hitting the ball really nicely at the moment.
Loving your enthusiasm, looks like you have a good year ahead smile
Thanks, Duncan. You're right, I'm absolutely loving my golf at the moment!

A lot of it is down to getting in at a really good, active club. Also, because our course is so amazingly dry you don't get the hassle of winter greens, winter tees, mud, plugging etc. etc.

We don't even have winter rules! I'm very lucky to play where I do, that's for sure.


Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Monday 2nd February 2015
quotequote all
kentlad said:
Rosscow said:
A decent golfing weekend!

Had the society prize giving dinner/dance on Saturday night where I picked up a trophy.

Up at 6am this morning for a foursomes Cup competition at the golf club, which my partner and I managed to win!

So another cup to collect at next months golf club dinner.

Absolutely savage winds this morning - 35mph winds gusting to 50mph - really tough conditions but we actually played some nice stuff.

Hitting the ball really nicely at the moment.
lucky man! can't seem to convince my usual partners that playing in minus 3 degrees is a good idea at the moment. the big softies.

Well done on the win!
Cheers!

If you want to play golf all year round then you have to have the gear.

Yesterday I had the full GG gore-tex suit on, with a GG Insula mid layer over the top of a thermal top and t-shirt. Under the GG trousers I had a pair of 3/4 Helly Hansen thermal leggings and some GG knee high socks (these are great - they are really tight which helps keep the circulation going and really helps with keeping the lower legs and feet warm).
On top I had my woolly hat and GG Insula snood (worth it's weight in gold!).
Stated off with FJ winter gloves and always use a pair of winter mitts between shots. After about 4 holes I managed to just go back to normal golf glove only with the mitts.

The GG stuff is so good because it's so light, not bulky at all. I may have had all those layers on but could still swing with ease.

If you can get all the gear then really there's no reason why golf can't be pleasant in all conditions - like yesterday.

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Monday 2nd February 2015
quotequote all
DuncanM said:
Rosscow said:
DuncanM said:
Rosscow said:
A decent golfing weekend!

Had the society prize giving dinner/dance on Saturday night where I picked up a trophy.

Up at 6am this morning for a foursomes Cup competition at the golf club, which my partner and I managed to win!

So another cup to collect at next months golf club dinner.

Absolutely savage winds this morning - 35mph winds gusting to 50mph - really tough conditions but we actually played some nice stuff.

Hitting the ball really nicely at the moment.
Loving your enthusiasm, looks like you have a good year ahead smile
Thanks, Duncan. You're right, I'm absolutely loving my golf at the moment!

A lot of it is down to getting in at a really good, active club. Also, because our course is so amazingly dry you don't get the hassle of winter greens, winter tees, mud, plugging etc. etc.

We don't even have winter rules! I'm very lucky to play where I do, that's for sure.
Where do you play? My course is the same, perfectly dry and on full greens 99.99% of the time.

It really does make a difference!
I play at Rye, East Sussex.

http://www.ryegolfclub.co.uk/

How about you?

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Monday 2nd February 2015
quotequote all
SpeckledJim said:
Well my golfing year has got off to a flier with my best ever round. A 74, with 4 birdies, an eagle, and 8 bogies.

This is completely out of character, and I put it down to 2 things:

1 - my new irons, which are for the first time custom-fit to my short concentrated stature
2 - the course being just dry enough that balls don't plug, but just wet enough that I can aim straight at the flag with no concession to bounce, run, roll, drag or anything that normal golf entails. Hit it - it stops.

That's the good bit.

The bad bit? Nobody was there to witness it. I was on my own. This is a huge, unreplicatable disaster.
hehe

Well played! That's a bit like me a few weeks ago, thought I'd get a quick 9 holes in as practice and shot 39. Nobody there to see it!

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Monday 2nd February 2015
quotequote all
DuncanM said:
Rosscow said:
I play at Rye, East Sussex.

http://www.ryegolfclub.co.uk/

How about you?
That course looks gorgeous!

I play in the middle of the country in Bedford http://www.thebedfordgc.com/pages.php/.

The course has an inland links feel and drains excellently.

Rye is beautiful, I think my friend played Rye with Tom Chaplin (Keane lead singer).

Proper links smile
Yeah, it's really top notch. Yes, Tom Chaplin is a member at Rye. Good golfer!

Yours looks nice as well, so much better if you can play it properly all year!

There are some lovely pictures of Rye on Getty Images:

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/search/2/image?phrase...

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Monday 2nd February 2015
quotequote all
SpeckledJim said:
Rosscow said:
I play at Rye, East Sussex.

http://www.ryegolfclub.co.uk/

How about you?
That does look superb. Do they really charge visitors double if they don't want to play foursomes?
I think as you're playing foursomes you're only hitting the ball half as much, so they charge half price.

That's if you're even allowed on, it's a tough place to get a game if you don't know a member.

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Monday 2nd February 2015
quotequote all
SpeckledJim said:
Rosscow said:
SpeckledJim said:
Rosscow said:
I play at Rye, East Sussex.

http://www.ryegolfclub.co.uk/

How about you?
That does look superb. Do they really charge visitors double if they don't want to play foursomes?
I think as you're playing foursomes you're only hitting the ball half as much, so they charge half price.

That's if you're even allowed on, it's a tough place to get a game if you don't know a member.
What does a membership cost? £125 for visitors with the temerity to want to play their own ball is bloody steep!

Some of the rules look pretty arcane, not to mention a complete ban on threeball and fourball golf!?
It's just a very traditional old club with lots of history - it's very set in its ways.

However, I think that is exactly what makes it so good!

Pace of play is very important - you're expected to play a round in 3.5 hours maximum. 3 and 4 ball golf is generally a pain in the rear and is the main problem with most public golf courses in my opinion.

Having now had a year of playing foursomes I would much rather play this format with 3 friends as either matchplay or stableford - it's bloody good fun playing as a team!

As for the green fee, it is obviously expensive compared to most golf clubs in the country.
However, when you look at places like Royal St. George (£170), Royal Cinque Ports (£185), Wentworth (£360), St Andrews Old Course (£170), etc. etc. then £125 is the going rate.

It is a top 25 course in England! Also, it's one of only 250ish 'true links' in the whole world.

As for membership, I don't know but I think it's under the £1500 mark.

Edited by Rosscow on Monday 2nd February 15:39

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Monday 2nd February 2015
quotequote all
Well, I'm starting to find that I do quite well at other courses but this is the year that I'm really looking to kick on!

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Tuesday 3rd February 2015
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PatrickOUFC said:
@rosscow - do you not know how much you pay for membership? biglaugh

If it is under £1500 - that is incredible, if a green fee is £125
Fair play!
No, because I'm a member of Rye Artisans GC so pay dirt cheap membership biggrin

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Wednesday 4th February 2015
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Sounds great, but all depends when and where!
My golfing calendar is going nuts, I already have 41 golfing fixtures before December! I don't think I'll be able to play them all, the wife may complain.....

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Wednesday 4th February 2015
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Does anyone have any experience with Scotty Cameron putters?

The only reason I ask is that I'm considering getting one custom fitted/made.

Long story short, my Grandmother died earlier this month and I have inherited some money (not sure how much yet).

It's been running through my mind what I should do with the money (obviously I have no idea how much yet). We've been talking about an extension on the house for a while, so the bulk of it will probably go on getting plans drawn up, getting planning permission, etc. but I really want to try and get something that I will be able to remember not only my Nan but also my Grandad (who died many years ago).

I came up with the idea of treating myself to a new custom made SC putter, with maybe their names stamped on it (as a child all the grandchildren used to call them 'Nanna and Pop'!).
This way, I'm going to have something that I will use all the time, but it would also be something I really treasure and that reminds me of them regularly.

So...... to cut to the chase! What sort of money would this cost me?

Thanks!

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Wednesday 4th February 2015
quotequote all
SpeckledJim said:
Sounds like a lovely idea. Good few hundred pounds I'd expect.

My problem would be that if I'd had that degree of control over the design of something, as soon as it arrived I'd inevitably decide it was 10g too heavy, or 15g too light, or, or, and it'd do my head in.
I don't think that would bother me too much..... however I could order some extra weights so that I can change them around hehe

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Wednesday 4th February 2015
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Just had a quick play, something like this (not sure on the colours at the moment!)


Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Wednesday 4th February 2015
quotequote all
snowy said:
I have a Scotty Cameron, the only advice I would give is that putters are very personal clubs, DO NOT BUY ONE Online, GO TO YOUR LOCAL GOLF SHOP AND TRY SOME, also when I changed to a SC from a Odyssey 2 ball it took a good 3 months for me to get use to the new putter, I was on the verge of giving it up and reverting back to a Odyssey 2 ball, I wouldn’t have any other putter now.

A tad exspensive at £220 +, but you would pay that for a driver, and you use the putter more
Oh yes, I would never buy anything golf related without trying first!

Luckily for me 1 of only 3 Scotty Cameron fitting centres is only an hour or so from me, so I'd have a full fitting session and make sure I was happy with it before pulling the trigger.

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Wednesday 4th February 2015
quotequote all
SpeckledJim said:
Other than in a psychosomatic "I built this" sense, is it going to be better than your favourite of the Ping Anser series?

I'd honestly like to be persuaded.
Well, when all of my clubs were stolen last year I tried about 12 different putters in the club shop and decided on a Snake Eyes Tour Platinum putter (this was over some Ping's, TM's, Odyssey, etc.)
However, my putting hasn't been fantastic with it as yet so I'm not too worried about replacing it as I haven't really built up any kind of connection with it yet.


Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Thursday 5th February 2015
quotequote all
Cheers for all the links guys, I will investigate further!

The Dual Balance putters look interesting, I'll have to have a go with one.

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Friday 6th February 2015
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I'd look at:

Ping i25 (because I have them and love them!)
Ping S55
Mizuno, possibly the JPX850 Forged or the MP-54's
Titleist AP2's
Callaway XR (these are new out and look lovely!)

If I'm honest, I'm not a big Taylormade fan.


Edited by Rosscow on Friday 6th February 16:01

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
Thanks guys. All of these putters look lovely - however where can I see them, try them, and get fitted for them, in the UK? I do actually want to be able to use it to play golf with! hehe

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Wednesday 11th February 2015
quotequote all
dxbtiger said:
I watched about 3 minutes of the one he shot at the Belfry (I think it was there) and had to turn it off.

Guess I just don't like his style, I can see why people would want watch for unbiased reviews he just grates on me, I did watch the 3 reviews of the Vapor Drivers yesterday to see what the fuss is about the issue mentioned above, saw a few errors in them.

I personally wouldn't use them to help me pick a club, I loved the Vapor line and have had either the Speed or Pro in my bag since the beginning of October.
I find this quite interesting.

Why wouldn't you use an unbiased review to help select a club?

Surely a bunch of clubs swung by the same guy under the same conditions using a launch monitor to give accurate numbers relating to ball speed, launch angle, spin RPM etc, is useful?

Obviously I'd still try different clubs but if I was torn between 2 drivers and I knew one gave better numbers than the other then that would help me with my decision.

Obviously you really want to try the clubs with a launch monitor yourself but it's always nice to have another opinion.

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,780 posts

164 months

Thursday 12th February 2015
quotequote all
An interesting discussion, lads!

And yes what has been said does make sense. If I preferred the look/feel/sound of a particular club then I would buy that over one that maybe goes 5 or 10 yards further.

In reality only when 2 clubs were equally nice to hit would the numbers come into it, and I suppose that's a pretty rare thing to happen.

I do agree with the tuition - when I joined my club the first thing I did was get some lessons and sort my swing out. I had to make big changes to posture and alignment and it's made a big difference. I don't think you can ever really have 'quick fixes.'

In fact, I think golf is a sport that is never mastered, you can always improve regardless of handicap. Which is why I love it so much!