You could look at it several ways I suppose.

On a 12-stimp if you stroke a 3-footer pure it's always going in. On a slower, bumpier green you can stroke a 3-footer pure and it can miss the hole completely.

On a 12-stimp you can roll a 10-footer with a much shorter stroke which has less room for error. In essence, it's just the same as putting a 5-footer on a slower green. I think we can both agree it's easier to make a 5-footer than a 10-footer.

Growing up I usually played greens that were kind of slow. But when I got to play a course that had fast greens, it was like I was cheating. It was so easy to make putts, all I had to do was start it on line and it would just roll until it hit the cup and fell in.

It wouldn't give Tour pros the yips, but when you're used to stroking a flat 10-footer with a small stroke, you're not going to make very many when all of a sudden you have to use a much longer stroke and somewhat hit at the ball.

BO

also when you play slow greens you are constantly thinking "get the ball to the damn hole" and screwing with the line and hammering the crap out of it and "hitting the ball" instead of putting a nice slow smooth stroke on it. lots more variables.

It is much easier when all you have to do is put the ball online. I mean fast/undulating greens are certainly much tougher than slow/flat greens. But if the greens are relatively average, fast greens are much easier imo. Obviously the smoothness makes a huge difference too.

Really golf at a crappy course and a really great one are two entirely different games.

LoL. Thanks for that.

So far this summer, I've been shooting 90 pretty consistently. How likely is it that I can get to shooting 80 regularly by the end of the summer? Seems like my main problem right now is accuracy with my irons coming into the green, whether it's a full swing with an iron (I miss left/right, but distance is correct) or if it's a partial swing wedge.

Do I just need to hit the range and get better consistency with my irons and practice wedge shots? Or should I go get lessons from a pro?

On the range you really need to practise direction. Find target and make sure you are lining up properly, change target once in a while.

I think that you are just hitting in the direction of the matt at the range and just in the direction the tee is at the course, which is ok, but you have never really learned to set up your direction of irons.

I guess that you would be able to achieve progress in short time, just by practising direction on the range.

This is something that I've been practicing already and has definitely made a difference. I generally have my wife or a buddy stand behind me and watch my aim when I'm playing or hitting on the range (body alignment, feet alignment, club alignment and ball position) to give me a heads up if I make a mistake.

That being said, I still end up pushing or pulling the ball slightly, about 25% of my iron shots. From watching video of my swing, I think this is due to the club head being slightly open or slightly closed at impact. I guess my question is: is this something I can fix at the range by myself or do I need a pro to help me?

Ok, that is another problem than I originally thought. Then I would think it will better to see a pro, as the causes can be many different things in your swing.

You could as well post a vid on your swing here, if you post one straight shot, and one to each side, some of the others might be able to help you, they might spot what is variable between the swings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCNJ6iIkPs4

Video quality is less than awesome but I was using these to fix a few things. I think I may be cocking my wrists too much in the top of the backswing and my left arm is bending a bit.

It kind of looks like i'm falling back a little in my swing at impact and I feel like I have too much leg movement. Anything else here? Quality isn't good enough to see the angle of the club at impact.

Was had major time yesterday at the Fathers Day outing for the men's section of the club.

I was in the first group on the course, and as we got to the second par three hole, I hit a nice sweat 4 iron onto the green. One in my group also hit a nice shot onto the green, from the tee it looked like he was closer, and I complained about him trying to steal the whiskey for being closest to the hole from me. When we get to the green it is impossible to tell who is closest. After putting out, we measure and he was 4.95m away and I was 4.67m away.

When we get to the prize ceremony and the nearest the hole prizes, the announcer said at the xth hole we got JavaNut with 4.67m and pauses so people start to applaud, and I stand up and start to walk. And then he says, but there was also this guy with 3.41m.

I am so going to get him for that.

Feherty on fire today.
After Furyk takes forever to hole a 4 footer,
"For a second there I thought he was going to rush that."

Then regarding Furyk's possible tree trouble on the next hole,
"Those are Jack's walnuts."

Well I found a deal today so I bought me a driver...Callaway ft-9 tour 9.5 degree mitsubishi fubuki xstiff shaft. $377. Exact same driver is $729 on callaway.com

Hit 2 consecutive drives 327 (downwind w/e) and I think once I get used to it, it will be money.

Jack was on tv today saying the same thing basically. He was talking about how the greens were like glass, but they're so perfect that all you have to do it start them on line. And like you said before, the greens are the same speed week after week for those guys and absolutely perfect condition. You can't get any better conditions to make putts.

Do you get the free woods also? You stole it if so. Good deal either way though.

Did you go 47"? I have the stock fubuki X(44" I think) and I'm not thrilled with it tbh. It does drop some bombs, but the dispersion isn't as good as a 757 or a whiteboard. I think the X is a must with this shaft as it seems loose in comparison.

I have the 9* neutral and I'm waiting on a 10.5* tour head. Somebody told me the other day they are backordered til August

great condition or not, greens playing at a 14 in the morning and 15 in the afternoon are a nightmare for amateurs....FIFTEEN! lol.

Nope, no free woods. Got it a little tiny golf shop that his hidden in the ghetto next to a terrible muni that everyone makes fun of. Awesome store though.

X shaft.Was debating between the X and just the stiff, but my choice was made for me and I didn't seem to have a problem with it. I honestly don't know how long it is. I assume it is just standard 45" because I didn't really feel like I had to adjust at all. I paid for it so I could go hit it on the course, and I was going to take it back if I didn't like it, but I was considerably longer off the tee, so I'm going to keep it I think.

I played so lol bad that it was hard to gauge for a while, but my last 3 drives were 327 downwind 326 downwind 246 into the wind. Last week the same shots would've been 300/300/220.

Today would have been the day for Tiger to show up at my home track instead of slumming it at Jack's place. For the first time in quite a while I took advantage of knowing every blade of grass and fired a 63(-8) in a nice little wolf/skins/trash game. 9 birdies and 1 3-putt bogey. From holes 9 through 16 had 7 birdies and a par. Missed one green. Made only one putt over 15 feet (45-foot gagger) but tons from between 8 and 15 feet. Although I still missed 6 putts inside 15 feet.

Going to press my luck and play again in the morning. Doubt I'll even break 70 after today.

BO

The greatest thing ever is going wolf all 4 times and scooping...best thing EVER.

a little update. had my lesson, and tested out the launcher vs. burner vs. SQ dymo2.

as much as i wanted to get the nike, i just don't hit it pure enough. i'd struggle with it for a couple of balls until i finally found the center of the face, then pick up the burner and pure the first 5 shots with it. ugh... kinda hate that i can't start assembling an all-nike set.

i'll probably try to find a good deal on the burner 3w and pick it up, then do the same thing, testing out several hybrids as mine need replacing.

Just want to brag about danish golf. Jeppe Huldahl today won the Celtic Manor Welsh Open. His first win on the european tour, had never finished better than tied 12th before (at a smaller european tour event in Indonesia).

Went out in the last group, and was never out of the lead. When he was under the most pressure he hit his teeshot less than 3 inches from the hole on a par three.

A couple of times he had 6-10 feet putts for a par and they where never anywhere than center of the cup.

When putting for birdie at the last, knowing he had 2 putts for the win, his putt stopped less than 5 inches beside the hole. It is putts of that length you would want to win a tournament.

7th danish player to win, 21st win in all.

From the department of goofy things seen on golf courses:




At Hemlock Golf Club, Ludington, MI. Not in play - it's off to the side in the junk on one of the earlier holes. Just kinda LOL.

Debris piled for removal = free drop

BO

Well that is the best you'll ever get from any complaints departments.

when do tickets to 2010 us open go on sale?
i never been to a golf event, but the 2010 @ pebble beach seems like a good opportunity.

Check the USGA website and think about joining. IIRC joining the USGA gets you some kind of priority on tickets. I don't think you will have trouble getting them, however.

I think it's usually right after the current open?