A course with no sand bunkers would be interesting.

In windy areas (e.g. LV) it makes a lot of sense because the sand blows away and the bunkers turn into concrete. Also many courses don't have the time/money/resources to manage bunkers well.

I'm sure naysayers would complain about the course looking too green, and removing an element of skill. But features such as high fescue can be added for contrast. And grass bunkers can easily be more difficult to escape from compared to sand bunkers.

substitute water hazards with waste areas filled with football-sized rocks that are considered unplayable hazards if your ball ultimately lands in one. less lost balls and none of the problems you get with water (mosquitos, alligators, water moccasins, water shortages, flooding, stench, etc.). some holes you could use slightly different colors of rock and it could look quite pretty.

ofc these could already be a thing but I can only think of one that I've ever seen.

Sheep Ranch uses grass bunkers because of wind scouring the sand.

Just because I'm curious:

For those who play different courses, how much (if at all) do you adjust your short game technique or equipment?

I played two completely different courses this weekend -- Saturday was super grassy. Thick, shaggy fairways. Long, juicy rough including around the greens. Greens a little on the soft side and running 9-10. Sunday, everything firm and fast. Closely mown most places, I didn't get into any rough around the greens. Firm, elevated greens running 11-12 with quite a bit of trickle.

Also seems like I should have changed my approach more than I did. I had more success on Sunday using a low bounce 60 degree wedge, which is not a tool I would consider a go to. Didn't use it at all on Saturday, in fact. For that course I mostly went with lower loft and more bounce. Saturday was inconsistent, Sunday was awful except on a couple shots with the 60. Anything with an 8i to 52 was pretty much a guaranteed fail.

Not sure if I need tips, practice or a lobotomy.

For us AM's I feel having a default shot is key, This will be a club you're very comfortable with and the type of shot you're very comfortable with also. You'll have to ask yourself when you have a particular lie/shot can you play your default shot. If no, You have to adjust. This maybe keeping the same club and playing a different type of shot or getting another club. What I will say is probably don't play a shot you haven't really practiced.

Right now for me, my default shot for pitching and chipping when the greens and the fairways are a bit firm is to have the idea that I want my ball to land on the green softly and have a bit of roll out (I say always land on the green as I don't want some random bounce which could potentially happen if I pitch before the green). For the most part this will be my 60 think I have around 10 bounce on it, I do feel though I am very confident with strike when pitching and chipping so I'll open it to about what I think is right for the particular shot.


One shot I struggle with is being in and around the greens and being in rough/semi rough where the grass is growing against me. I feel I've got better at it but not sure how. Mainly I'm just taking my 60 and opening up a little and making sure I'm keeping the speed, Not sure if that's the right way to approach it.

If you get comfortable with the Joseph Mayo steep AOA, forward shaft lean, low launch approach the grass conditions become a little less relevant for short game shots

I took a 3 hour short game lesson from Larry Rinker a few years ago. He taught me a super wristy technique, set up hands behind the ball and let the clubhead pass the hands on the way through. It took me a while to get the hang of it but its great now. I know it's counterintuitive, but I flop it off hardpan now. He is way against the "handle dragger" technique.

Mayo doesn't teach a handle drag, so much as just setting up with a forward shaft lean and getting weight forward to encourage a negative AOA (-10 or more), and controlling low point. Wrists release as normal.

You don't necessarily need to change technique, but there is just less margin for error chipping/pitching off and onto tight surfaces. You have to be very exact with contact, otherwise you'll be all over the place.

The biggest aha moment for short game came with a lesson with a pro.

With your wedges, regardless of how you manipulate the club face... If the club head is ahead of your hands at impact you will lead with the bounce and it will slide under the ball. If the club head is behind your hands it's the leading edge and you need to strike the ball first or it will just dig into the dirt and you chunk it.

if the bounce is exposed the margin of error is much lower on anything but the fluffiest of lies (including sand)

Yeah, it’s almost impossible to make proper contact off a tight lie with the hands behind the club head. I’m glad this seems to work for Zimmer but I’d be curious to see if his hands are truly behind the head.

Certainly might be a "feel vs real" issue going on where the head isn't truly ahead of the hands, but starting the release earlier gets it to a point where it feels like it's ahead and allows the bounce to work rather than the leading edge.

https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/20...outputType=amp

This is where I used to teach and fit. I think business is going to be brisk going forward.

Got stuck behind a very slow foursome today, it was brutal.

I've had the Garmin R10 launch monitor for a few years now and mainly use it for the camera. I always lamented the fact that there was no slow motion playback. Today I found something better, that perhaps has always been there! When playing the video back you can put your finger on the slider and slowly fast forward or slowly rewind and it is pretty much frame by frame. It's amazing!

Anyone else know you can do that?

If you just care about a camera, try the Onform app.

Thank you. I looked at that and the first screenshot says you need an invitation if you have an Android phone. It also looks like it's probably similar to V1, which is what my instructor uses. With that I can view my swings but I can't share anything unless I pay for the service.

ruling question.

So at my local we have our fairways they are lined with a foot and a half high and about a foot wide thin rough. Owner said they are on the edge of the fairways to define the edges of them not sure why, They are not meant to be part of the course (I know pointless). After this think layer of rough you get the 1st cut of rough.

This thin line of rough is not meant to be played out of according to the card. If you're ball is in this thin line of rough you may take a free drop in the actual rough.

If you're in the fairway, If your stance is inhibited you may take a free drop in the fairway.

Now I've always played it as stance and swing cause your shaft can get wrapped up in it. However, I've been made away this isn't the case which imo is stupid.

Question I have is if you're in the fairway and this line of rough is effecting your stance but effecting your swing, Couldn't you just find a way of making effecting your stance? For example set up for a big hook or slice so you're standing in it then get relief from it.

I see it as like a stake tree. Say you have a Pitching wedge into the green by a staked tree. It's not effecting your swing but its very close, Couldn't you just get a 7 iron out which will end up hitting it? Then get relief and go back to your wedge?

Don’t understand everything with the strip of rough but can certainly answer the rules question at the end.

In your staked tree example you are not allowed to circumvent the situation with a club you have no intention of using. If the shot calls for a wedge then that’s the club you test the situation with. You cannot have a 100 yard shot and haul out a longer shafted driver to get relief from a staked tree.

In your rough example you cannot make a stance you have no intention of actually using in an attempt for relief.

It’s all about intent.

ah ok

yeah the strip of rough is pretty pointless. Meant to be there for aesthetics but doesn't look good. In places it's actually quite thick and you can lose your ball in it.

Anyone every had a problem with their Achilles? I'm mid 30's fairly active with golf and footy/soccer. Everyday recently when I wake up or just resting and then get up my Achilles in both legs are so sore and stiff, Once I get going it's fine. Never really had a problem with them before. Going to get some ice on them before I sleep tonight to see if that does anything.

Mine are doing that right now. A few months ago I had to carry a super heavy suitcase down from the 14th floor of a hotel and something about that made one of them hurt really bad to the point where I had to walk on the tiptoe on that foot for like 36 hours and then it went away.

I played golf Monday and since then they have both been sore and stiff. I'm changing how I use my feet/ground in golf and I was wondering if I was just using them a way I wasn't used to. Pretty annoying!

would you say you stay well hydrated?
meaning drink multiple liters of liquid every day?
and when you piss it streams almost clear every time?

asking because the clues you strewn lead towards some degree of dehydration

Yeah I say I somewhat do. Like I'm not perfect with hydration but feel I drink enough.

I did some research and my symptoms seem to be more align with Achilles Tendinopathy https://www.bupa.co.uk/health-inform...s-tendinopathy
I would say for me I'm probably over doing it and putting a bit to much stress on it.