Took a few minutes this weekend and fiddled with balls 11.5 inches from the hole. The hardest part was raking the ball into position without question, the making of the putt itself takes only an instant.

Here's how I think the best way to do it would be. Have a guy sit just outside the putting line between where you putt from and the hole. One hand gets the ball out of the hole, the other places a ball into putting position. Routine would go putt, place another ball into putting position, quickly get the ball out of the hole, rinse and repeat. Or this could be done with two guys doing one task each.

I'm thinking in this fashion you could accomplish the task in 15 minutes or less with you simply standing there making an almost robotic stroke once a second or slightly more. The putt itself should not be an issue.

BO

Trying to get an even gambling game. We play 2 man scramble, $x per hole with carryovers and presses. If 1 carries over, 2 is worth 2x, carryover again 3 is worth 3x. A team can press anytime they are down after losing a hole, a press adds 1 unit so if Team A wins hole 1, and Team B presses, hole 2 and every hole after is now worth 2x. So even though we start out at x by the end of the round, holes can get up to 4-5x.
We also play stroke play for a 2x bet and we play a nassau for a 2x-2x-2x where if you are down 2 on any 9 or the 18 you can press and create a new bet.

We played today and the teams and terms were this...

TeamA: 13 handicap, 18 handicap
Team B: 18 handicap, 22 handicap

Team A lays -118 on every bet besides the stroke play bet where they are giving 2.5 shots

Hopefully I described this so it can easily be understood.

Whose side do you guys like? If its not even what would you do to make it even?

I'd bet the farm on whoever isn't keeping score, scorekeeper will expend all energy by the turn and fall apart.

BO

Hi all, i have been playing golf for a couple years now after I quit playing Sunday league football/soccer at the age of 30. Mainly due to getting too slow to even hack the little 18 year olds down. I haven't played a great deal of golf maybe 9 holes a week and shoot about 100.

My first goal would be to get down to a bogey player. I have no idea how quick this could be achieved. Doable in a year for someone with say a lesson a month and plenty of practice?

Maybe, maybe not. A lot of it depends on just how predisposed you are to golf. A few people could do it in 3 months, other would never be able to do it.

Since you're a soccer(obviously American) player, ask yourself this. Could some random 30 year old with an decent athletic background become a high level league soccer player within a year with decent training?

Only way to know for sure is to give it a shot, you'll probably be able to tell within a few months.

BO

Cheers, just didn't know what was realistic. I will be giving it a shot and will see how I get on. Booking my first lesson for next Wednesday evening and also decide on which local club to join.

Going from shooting 100 to shooting 90 can hardly be compared to becoming a high level league soccer player. With a lesson a month and lots of practice it should be very possible for just about anyone.

Edit: Unless he actually meant he's shooting 100 for 9 holes?

Yeah I meant 100 over 18 holes. I maybe bad but I'm not that bad!

Oh ya, very doable.

I started the season having only played a few rounds each year and never putting any work in - had never broken 100. After a summer of 20+ rounds I'm now breaking 90 almost every round and even somehow shot a 79 on a luckbox round. Anyways, good luck, going from bad to OK is alot of fun!

If I'm wanting to try a super stroke what size should I start with?

I don't live near a dealer so I'm planning to order one and put it on an old putter.

I got invited to play Bethpage Black on Monday. Anyone have any experience playing the course?

curious which clubs you were looking at and which one you eventually joined. i have contacts at several in the pdx area (yeah, i'm a little late to the party).

I joined Rock Creek, out off the 185th exit on the west side. I was looking at, but not seriously considering, The Reserve. Dues at Reserve actually aren't bad, but initiation fees start at $12,000.

For the price I am very happy with Rock Creek. Course looks boring on paper, but there's character on very hole in one way or another, and the trees and greens make it challenging. Course is in great shape, too, and staff is great.

I live on the west side, or probably would have gone with Riverside. Initiation is something like $1250, and I've heard good things.

Can someone give me and idea what a decent score range is for two ~11 handicaps playing a chapman? Playing one tomorrow and would like to have an idea where we should be.

If you hit on the upper 1/3 of the face will the spin rate be lower than if you hit it lower on the face?

generally yes

Haven't played RCCC. How's the membership demographic? Any young folks out there?

I have a friend that used to be president of the men's club at Riverside. fun place and good people. one downside is that is suffers from lots of airplane noise just like Edgewater, but that's probably just being picky.

I like that the Reserve has two courses, but I already play out there about half a dozen times a year since they rotate public access to one of the courses. I agree that $12k is steep for what you're getting...I think there are better options in PDX.

Willamette Valley and Arrowhead are two other great clubs/courses, but too far away for us west-siders to use on a regular basis.

Did you happen to price Pumpkin? I've heard they've been running specials, but I'm guessing they're 'special' is still not cheap. Two great courses though.

I only joined mid-September and have only been able to play during the week and late on one Men's Day, but from what I've seen the demographics are older than I'd like. My funds are constrained at the moment, so I didn't have many options. Didn't price Pumpkin; I know it's right out.

It's starting to be the wrong time of the year, but we should play sometime.

This might have been our last nice weekend. I played Langdon today, still like it more than the reserve or pumpkin.

I'd love to get a pass there, but I'm on the west side as well and it'd be hell driving there and back during the week.

I've heard a lot of good things about arrowhead too, especially for the price, but again it's too far.

Worried about that too. Looks like it's going to **** from here. I've been out of town the last few weekends and haven't even taken advantage of it.

I have a pass at Langdon and one at Pumpkin as well (thank you work and clients that like to play golf). I like Langdon but def would rather play at Pumpkin. This is a beautiful time of year for Ghost, by the way.

Both courses hold up really well all year. I play with a group of guys that goes all year round. Invest in really good rain gear, shoes, gloves, base layer, and a hat. I bought a waterproof bag last fall and it may be one of my best purchases.

No, you wont shoot your best rounds (or will you?) but it's not going to hurt your HC since you can't post scores during that time of year anyway. On the bright side you won't have to knock the rust off when spring comes around and the pace of play is much faster than summer.

Edit to say the Farm Card is only $80 during October. It really is the best card in the area since discounted greens fees apply to the whole foursome, something like five rounds will get you a free one, and the points carry over from year to year.

I've managed to never play Langdon. No idea why, since I've played most every other course in the area (including the ****ty ones).

Ghost and Witch are both gorgeous most times of the year. I love that setting. It was always my impression (based somewhat on my personal, small sample size) that Ghost, at least, gets pretty bogged down in the winter.

With me, Redeyes, and Malice we almost have a 2+2 PDX foursome. Someone else needs to pipe up. It's been a while since I've played with a full gambling foursome, and miss the spirited games of Wolf.

Langdon always seems to be in good to great shape, can be a little short from the whites but lengthens out from the blues. It's a Fought and Cupp course, so it can't be too bad, right? (Cupp designed Ghost, Fought designed Reserve South, Indian Wells, and remodeled Glaze at Black Butte, Fought/Cupp collaborated on Crosswater, etc)

The course is pretty much in front of you. A short par 3 (6), two medium par threes (3 & 13) and a longish par three (17). The three par fives are risk/reward, and a variety of par fours round out the par 71.

One of the challenges with Langon during the summer is the sheer quantity of scrambles they host...sometimes two different ones a day.

It's definitely worth playing, is really just a quick buzz down I-5, and a walking round this weekend for non-card holders is $51, with the card its $37, and the other three folks in the group pay $42. Oh, did I mention all day happy hour on Sundays?

In!

Yea I don't mind the drive at all on the weekends, but never gonna fight I-5 traffic during the week.