Golf - 2025

[fat80b]

Played today. Carry only, half set, 10 temp greens. Purple (winter) tees. Pretty soggy everywhere but not a breath of wind.

Was only going to play 9, but as it was so quiet, we thought we’d do a few more holes and that turned into a full 18 taking just over 3 hours.

Shot a 79 (off 17.9) which I was pretty pleased with. And it could have been even better if it wasn’t for a couple of fluffed chips.

3 wood off the tee is working, irons off the winter mat are great, chipping and putting finally coming together.

I know the temps mean the score doesn’t mean anything whatsoever but it’s still rather nice to have an 18 hole card starting with a 7……..

[ukwill]

79 off 17.9 in the winter if bloody fantastic. Well done!

[Challo]

s94wht said:

Anyone here done the practice day at the BMW PGA at Wentworth? I've heard it's quite good fun. I went on the Friday last year with my nan and she really enjoyed it, and her birthday is coming up, so I'm thinking of getting tickets to the practice day and the Pro-Am (she's already said she likes the sound of the latter)

The OH works for BMW so we get cheap tickets. Always go to the Pro-AM day. Not that busy and gives you a good chance to watch the players up close. Some of the celebs are decent as well

[kentlad]

Had a little practice in the garden today, couple of new ‘feelings’ which probably in the real world make tiny adjustments, had me striking it better than I have for a long time. Can’t wait for longer days & the sun to return!!

[milesgiles]

DuncanM said:

milesgiles said:

Not much properly open at the mo it’s all gone quiet..

Thanks to whoever put me onto the golf fix app in the previous thread. I feel I’ve made a little breakthrough (only had that same feeling 400 times before however..)

Point is, I’ve tried it on a few friends swings and it’s pretty accurate in estimating their competence. I think if you use it intelligently you will get most of the way to realizing your potential (only my opinion)

Do you pay for it? Haven't played around for a while, but I liked it.

Nope didn’t pay, I just import my swing from time to time, follow the links to your faults and/or compare frame by frame to the pro.

Not ruling out a forceplate lesson but happy to say off to a promising start this season

[UKsandman]

Played today and managed my first round breaking 100. Started playing in July last year have have been trying to break 100 ever since. Managed it today despite getting an 8 on the 16th and 18th (I was getting a bit over excited by then). 4 pars in one round was also a personal best.

[kiethton]

Played in our monthly stableford yesterday and came 4th with 37 points. Driving was decent all day, putting was good, chipping was great....just the irons not playing ball.

One day it'll all tie-in!

[Blackpuddin]

UKsandman said:

Played today and managed my first round breaking 100. Started playing in July last year have have been trying to break 100 ever since. Managed it today despite getting an 8 on the 16th and 18th (I was getting a bit over excited by then). 4 pars in one round was also a personal best.

Well done sir!

[Blackpuddin]

kiethton said:

Played in our monthly stableford yesterday and came 4th with 37 points. Driving was decent all day, putting was good, chipping was great....just the irons not playing ball.

One day it'll all tie-in!

Never!

[RosscoPCole]

At his local 9 hole course my 9 year old has just reached the semi-finals of the all-sections knock out Stableford competition. He was over the moon with the result. Since he got his new clubs from Father Christmas he has gone 50 to 38 for the 9 holes. His coach says his swing has improved so much too. Here is for a great year and a big reduction in his handicap.

[ColdoRS]

2025 is the year I get back into golf.

I last played regularly in 2009, I was playing off 17 as a 17 year old, won some club medals and a couple of local opens as a Junior. Gradually Uni - Career - Women - Mortgages and a Child happened, so I've subsequently played about 10 rounds in the last 16 or so years.

So far I've had a great time putting a new bag together. I'm 6ft5" with a 100+mph swing speed, so when fitted for irons I came out with XStiff shafts, +1.5" length, 2deg upright and thicker grips.

Putter, driver and a 5 wood bought used on Golf Bidder to get me going without spending a fortune - I couldn't bring myself to stump up £500+ for the latest driver when I really couldn't hit any of them consistently in the sim. Likewise I didn't drop £300 on a fancy putter - Putters seem like a bit of a minefield these days so I bought a cheap used Odyssey mallet to get me going and I'll see how I get on.

Golf was MUCH cheaper and MUCH more straightforward in the 2000's - Taylor Made Burner or Callaway Big Bertha woods, odyssey two ball, Cleveland wedges and ping eye irons, all off the shelf, all done me fine!? Now there is so much choice and customisation and complexity. Trackman and Toptracer are also new(or at least more widespread) so I've got that to learn/interpret/understand too.


I've been down the range a few times and managed to hit everything OK but plenty shanks and thins in there and lots of hooks. I had a lesson with a local pro last week, he gave me some swing changes which really had me striking my irons consistently well by the end of the lesson BUT.... he thinks the 2deg upright on the irons could be wrong as I'm still hooking all of them and he couldn't really sort it out for me with grip or swing changes within the hour. Seeing him again in a week so committing to playing as much as possible between the lessons so I can go back to him with some data and decide if we need to bend my shiny new irons back a degree or if we can make them work!

Got my first tee time in many years booked in the morning - first putts and chips and no doubt bunker shots in years too, have me in your prayers tonight men!

[Rosscow]

Let us know how you get on, ColdoRS!

Good win for McIlroy last night, and also pleased for Laurie Canter on the DP (I bet Larrazabal is kicking himself!).

[DuncanM]

RosscoPCole said:

At his local 9 hole course my 9 year old has just reached the semi-finals of the all-sections knock out Stableford competition. He was over the moon with the result. Since he got his new clubs from Father Christmas he has gone 50 to 38 for the 9 holes. His coach says his swing has improved so much too. Here is for a great year and a big reduction in his handicap.

9 years old! That's amazing, what a great golfing life you have ahead of you with him

[s94wht]

Can't win them all if you don't win the first... delighted for McIlroy. First PGA start of the year, first win, and he was absolutely blinding yesterday. This new sawn-off finish on his wedges and shorter irons worked absolute wonders.

Also really great to see Lowry up there as well, making the birdie on the 18th for solo second. I wonder if it's ever happened before that 1st and 2nd have both had a HIO in that competition? On the same day as well?

(I've not watched professional golf for that long so the answer might well be a resounding, "of course it has"!)

[48Valves]

DuncanM said:

RosscoPCole said:

At his local 9 hole course my 9 year old has just reached the semi-finals of the all-sections knock out Stableford competition. He was over the moon with the result. Since he got his new clubs from Father Christmas he has gone 50 to 38 for the 9 holes. His coach says his swing has improved so much too. Here is for a great year and a big reduction in his handicap.

9 years old! That's amazing, what a great golfing life you have ahead of you with him

It’s incredible and good luck to the boy. Hopefully the members are supportive of him and not grumpy at being beaten by a youngster.

[48Valves]

s94wht said:

Can't win them all if you don't win the first... delighted for McIlroy. First PGA start of the year, first win, and he was absolutely blinding yesterday. This new sawn-off finish on his wedges and shorter irons worked absolute wonders.

Also really great to see Lowry up there as well, making the birdie on the 18th for solo second. I wonder if it's ever happened before that 1st and 2nd have both had a HIO in that competition? On the same day as well?

(I've not watched professional golf for that long so the answer might well be a resounding, "of course it has"!)

I watched most of the broadcast last night. I haven’t done that for a long time. I had my fingers crossed for a Rory win and was fairly confident in him. He looked pretty in control despite a couple of trademark pulled wedges.

The eagle was obscene though. Even at their level, most pros must see that and think wow, I just haven’t got that in me.


We had our first comp of the year on Saturday. Shot 83 which wasn’t so bad, most of the damage came from a pair of doubles and a triple on the last.
The weather was perfect but the course was very wet and the greens were soft and bumpy. We suffered being one of the last groups out on a Sunday. The greens cost me at least 2 shots.
I paid the penalty for not hitting fairways with a couple of comical mud balls. I could have played safer but where is the fun in that.

I’d been to the range twice in the week and had a simulator session. I hit 95% of my irons with a draw left of target. So as one would expect. On the course almost every iron was either a straight push or a bit of a fade.
Stupid game

Edited by 48Valves on Monday 3rd February 23:00

[milesgiles]

48Valves said:

DuncanM said:

RosscoPCole said:

At his local 9 hole course my 9 year old has just reached the semi-finals of the all-sections knock out Stableford competition. He was over the moon with the result. Since he got his new clubs from Father Christmas he has gone 50 to 38 for the 9 holes. His coach says his swing has improved so much too. Here is for a great year and a big reduction in his handicap.

9 years old! That's amazing, what a great golfing life you have ahead of you with him

It’s incredible and good luck to the boy. Hopefully the members are supportive of him and not grumpy at being beaten by a youngster.

In faldos book he won a medal at welwyn gc but was dqd as a junior. I know he/they repaired relations somewhat later but goes to show.. look after your junior talent

[milesgiles]

s94wht said:

Can't win them all if you don't win the first... delighted for McIlroy. First PGA start of the year, first win, and he was absolutely blinding yesterday. This new sawn-off finish on his wedges and shorter irons worked absolute wonders.

Also really great to see Lowry up there as well, making the birdie on the 18th for solo second. I wonder if it's ever happened before that 1st and 2nd have both had a HIO in that competition? On the same day as well?

(I've not watched professional golf for that long so the answer might well be a resounding, "of course it has"!)

I’d say it almost certainly hasn’t been done. Rory has only had 3 (statistically should have had 6 or 7) in his whole career

[RosscoPCole]

milesgiles said:

48Valves said:

DuncanM said:

RosscoPCole said:

At his local 9 hole course my 9 year old has just reached the semi-finals of the all-sections knock out Stableford competition. He was over the moon with the result. Since he got his new clubs from Father Christmas he has gone 50 to 38 for the 9 holes. His coach says his swing has improved so much too. Here is for a great year and a big reduction in his handicap.

9 years old! That's amazing, what a great golfing life you have ahead of you with him

It’s incredible and good luck to the boy. Hopefully the members are supportive of him and not grumpy at being beaten by a youngster.

In faldos book he won a medal at welwyn gc but was dqd as a junior. I know he/they repaired relations somewhat later but goes to show.. look after your junior talent

Thanks for the positivity. He lives for golf, if he is not on the couse or at lessons he is alwsys asking to go on the range or wanting to play PGA on the Xbox. There is a fantastic academy at the club and some excellent coaches who look after the kids well. The members are great and supportive to the juniors. A few of them always ask how he is getting on and like to have a friendly challenge with him on the practice green.
We have been lucky last year as I took him to St Andrews for the ladies Open and to the ProAm at Wentworth where we had a dream day. The stewards let him and a friend sit on a bench by the 10th tee and they met Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood. We also got asked if they wanted a tour of the Titleist truck and was shown how they prepared and looked after the clubs forr the pros. He came home with more than 20 signatures on his cap.
He has played the local junior 9 hole tour for the past few years and has started an 18 hole junior tour. The main problem is that the course he is a member of is short, par 32, and he really struggles with the 18 hole courses. He hasn't encountered par 5 holes in the past and going round a full 18 holes for a 9 year old is pretty tiring at the best of times. We are just encouraging him and letting him enjoy his golf without being pushy parents who live their lives and dreams through their children and expect them to be the next big star whether they like it or not.

[milesgiles]

RosscoPCole said:

milesgiles said:

48Valves said:

DuncanM said:

RosscoPCole said:

At his local 9 hole course my 9 year old has just reached the semi-finals of the all-sections knock out Stableford competition. He was over the moon with the result. Since he got his new clubs from Father Christmas he has gone 50 to 38 for the 9 holes. His coach says his swing has improved so much too. Here is for a great year and a big reduction in his handicap.

9 years old! That's amazing, what a great golfing life you have ahead of you with him

It’s incredible and good luck to the boy. Hopefully the members are supportive of him and not grumpy at being beaten by a youngster.

In faldos book he won a medal at welwyn gc but was dqd as a junior. I know he/they repaired relations somewhat later but goes to show.. look after your junior talent

Thanks for the positivity. He lives for golf, if he is not on the couse or at lessons he is alwsys asking to go on the range or wanting to play PGA on the Xbox. There is a fantastic academy at the club and some excellent coaches who look after the kids well. The members are great and supportive to the juniors. A few of them always ask how he is getting on and like to have a friendly challenge with him on the practice green.
We have been lucky last year as I took him to St Andrews for the ladies Open and to the ProAm at Wentworth where we had a dream day. The stewards let him and a friend sit on a bench by the 10th tee and they met Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood. We also got asked if they wanted a tour of the Titleist truck and was shown how they prepared and looked after the clubs forr the pros. He came home with more than 20 signatures on his cap.
He has played the local junior 9 hole tour for the past few years and has started an 18 hole junior tour. The main problem is that the course he is a member of is short, par 32, and he really struggles with the 18 hole courses. He hasn't encountered par 5 holes in the past and going round a full 18 holes for a 9 year old is pretty tiring at the best of times. We are just encouraging him and letting him enjoy his golf without being pushy parents who live their lives and dreams through their children and expect them to be the next big star whether they like it or not.

I liked Brysons idea. Tee it forward. I’ve always thought if your two best shots can’t get home on a par 4 you are on the wrong tee.

He says it’s better to get used to scoring in the 70s and move back gradually as you get better/longer.. for a young kid that might mean moving forward to 250 from the green (on a par 4)

Obvs this is for social play only