Golf - 2021

[Rosscow]

Well fellow golfers, another year has passed.

Looking back at the beginning of the 2020 thread my goal was to get to single figures, which I achieved late in the year and my handicap index is currently 8.2.

Goal for this year? Stay a single figure golfer! Which judging by the last couple of games could be harder than I thought....

I wish you all a good year on and off the course.

[Rosscow]

yorky500 said:

I feel your pain as we had 3 months of it last year!

We had 2 months!

To be honest the weather has been bloody cold and wet so in fairness it's done the courses some good. I just hope it doesn't stretch too far into March or April.

[Rosscow]

rat840771 said:

Not happy, looking at 5months gone, we will have £20 put on our bar account. Yippee, whilst the club sit on £500k as they pay no rent for the golf course.

Just got to live with it and support ‘our members club’ luckily I am not in a position where I need to recoup the loss.

Sport of the rich so they expect fees to be paid. Couldn’t even leave as I would of had to pay joining fee again, to go social would have cost me more and would have to wait another year to rejoin.

I just don’t like the way they go about it.

I don't think it's quite as black and white as you make out.

You may have had 5 months of no golf, but they have still had to maintain the golf course to a high standard so that it is ready for your return.

Their bills will be largely unaffected, and they've probably had losses of food and drink that has had to be thrown away. Every time they have to close and reopen it costs money. Their turnover will be down considerably.

I know it's a stty situation but in my opinion you have to support your Club if you want it to continue post pandemic.

[Rosscow]

rat840771 said:

Yeah, I have paid my fees and will support the club

All clubhouse staff are furloughed, Skelton green staff.

They’ve had grants. They pay a peppercorn rent (100 years)

They have also offered a greater refund to people who need it, which is a nice gesture.

It amazes me that the committee run the club and they are all volunteers who have their own jobs and businesses to run, my hat goes off to them as they have to deal with a lot of st .

Yep! I'm the Secretary of our club. Takes a lot of time!

[Rosscow]

Personally I can't see it happening until at least early March, but more than likely middle to end. Who knows!

[Rosscow]

I have a Garmin X10.

Small, cheap and does everything you need.

Front, middle, back plus hazards.

Think it may have been replaced with a newer model now but I love it!

Definitely go as small as possible IMO. Oh, and
I have an Apple Watch and I ditched it for the Garmin!

[Rosscow]

fourstardan said:

Back to the subject of golf and membership costs.

In winter less work on the actual course is performed so im struggling to understand how much work a full green keeper team can do. I could understand it in March/April when spring arrives.

As said, it is a game for the rich with disposable income so its our own fault, however the future is unknown and is my concern for a lot of clubs, clubs will need to tighten belts OR like tax payers over the coming years are those who have jobs left and are members at said poncy clubs might actually end up having to pay higher green fees?

If lots of members leave because they've lost 12-16 weeks of golf in a year (which was completely out of their club's hands), then yes - those remaining members will have to pay more. Out of those 12-16 weeks, 4-8 weeks would have been in Jan/Feb, hardly top class golfing weather! Indeed with the wet and cold weather we've had recently lots of clubs would have been closed on and off anyway as they are every year.

I think we need a little perspective here.

[Rosscow]

I'd be surprised if it was any time in March to be honest.

I've actually enjoyed the break! Got loads done at home. If it is early April then it'll be about 14 weeks without so much as a chip in the garden.

First tee shot back will be interesting!

[Rosscow]

Sounds pretty bad!

Double open fractures, rods inserted, pins and screws into ankle/foot. Muscles swelling so had to have skin removed to ease pressure......

Don't think he'll be making a come back from this anytime soon, could well be the end of the Tiger era. Might see him on the Champions Tour I guess if he recovers well enough.

[Rosscow]

The injuries sound pretty bad - it's going to be a long slog just to be able to walk 6 or 7 miles again let alone compete at the top of the sport.

A shame really. I can't help but think that despite everything he's done in the sport there's a lot that he's left out there due to his questionable personal life.

Could have been THE greatest but IMO he's tarnished goods.

[Rosscow]

kiethton said:

Thoughts turn to the return and the set of irons I plan on upgrading....

I'm watching youtube videos/reading reviews and going around in circles. I play off a 7 handicap (5.2 index) and need an upgrade as I'm currently playing with a set of hand-me-down 2014 AP2's, built to my brother's spec.

Currently being torn in multiple directions but thinking of either:

Srixon ZX7's (perhaps ZX5's with higher irons)

Mizuno 921 (likely the forged)

Mizuno MP20 (likely the HMB's)

Ball striking has always been quite good (played with titlist X-blend before the AP2's) - issue I have is ballooning/high ball flight which is a bugger into wind. I no only play for fun a few times a week, want a good blend of feel and forgiveness - I don't care too much for distance and would prefer more traditional lofts......

Any thoughts on the above options?

I tried the Srixon Z785's before I went for the MP20 MMC. They were very very good, but the Mizuno just had the edge for me.

Out of interest I didn't like the MP20 HMB as much - just didn't have the feel IMO.

[Rosscow]

kiethton said:

Interesting, thanks - this is all from youtube viewing - haven't worked in the sector for 12 years now (uni job at whats now American Golf) and everything has really moved on!

Would add that its not just the irons - my current gapping is awful - lofts go:

9* Driver
13* 3-wood
21* hybrid
24* 4 iron

so have a big gap at the top and 3 wedges.....

Hoping to also get the shaft in my new-ish mavrik checked as a new shaft is a whole lot cheaper than a whole new club!

My current bag:

9* driver (ST200 G)
15* 3 wood (ST200)
18* 3 hybrid (Ping G)
22* 4 (MP20 MMC irons)
25* 5
28* 6
32* 7
36* 8
41* 9
46* PW
50* GW (7* bounce) (T20 wedges)
54* SW (8* bounce)
58* LW (4* bounce)

The only one I'm not that happy with now is the 3 hybrid, I'll probably swap that for an ST 5 wood (the ST200 3 wood is unreal!).

[Rosscow]

Our tee booking goes live in 20 minutes......!!!

[Rosscow]

07:31 on Monday, can't wait.

Will no doubt have had enough by 07:41

[Rosscow]

kiethton said:

Think I've gone a little OTT on my bookings - we work 2 weeks ahead so have:

Monday 29th
Friday 2nd
Saturday 3rd
Sunday 4th
Monday 5th

Then planning

Tuesday 6th
Friday 9th
Saturday 10th
Sunday 11th


So glad our club have no limits on play...

You're going to be knackered! And very very stiff!

[Rosscow]

kiethton said:

Yes, thats likely - been doing my best to keep flexible/hitting in the local park throughout but even hitting ~200 balls there (mainly pitching) i'm stiff as - some of these rounds will be a little painful!

Christ, you've been very pro-active.

I haven't swung a club since the end of December!!

[Rosscow]

CustardOnChips said:

I fully expect to have spent the lockdown completely ruining and already terrible swing

This is the trouble.

Putting has always been a strong point for me. First lock down I spent 8 weeks putting indoors. It completely ruined my putting game, my pace judgement was just awful. So this time I decided to do the opposite! Absolutely nothing at all!

[Rosscow]

Solid first round back from me, 33 points and a gross 79. Including a 2!

Happy days.

[Rosscow]

H.I cut to 7.8

Hopefully a sign of things to come!

[Rosscow]

Out of interest, have any of you actually been fitted for a putter?

I did a few years ago with Matt at the London Putting Academy (Matt is head pro at Royal Blackheath GC).

I'd really recommend it, I spent a couple of hours with him and instead of just flogging me a new putter he got me working on some basics and my putting has since been a strong point of my game! Still using the same putter (although I wouldn't mind a new one!).