I started golfing again...

[Ripsnort]

...it's been over 12 years since I played. My kids are old enough that their Mom doesn't want me around 24/7 anymore (hehe!) My clubs were stolen from our garage in our first home before we moved 11 years ago. Never replaced them until last Friday.  Played on Sunday. My putting was great (never more than two putted) and my short game was sweet as ever. What killed me was my driving.  I was never good at driving, usually slicing, but I played the slice. Now I've got some sort of wicked hook that rapes worms on the ground as it goes off the tee!    When I was a 14 handicap playing once a week, I weighed about 160 lbs.  Today I'm a skosh over 205 so I don't think I'm getting that club back as far as I used to at a light weight.

I couldn't believe how big the golf heads are on drivers these days. And you can pay over $600 for ONE frickin' driver! Titanium heads, graphite shafts, OMG, has this game changed (sort of...)

Anyway, my hamstrings are still sore (either from 4 hours of walking, or my bad driving swing!) but I'm signing up for some brush up lessons and get back in the swing of things.

[mietla]

did you carpet your clubs?

[Ripsnort]

did you carpet your clubs?

No, but I carpeted my balls last nite.

Speaking of carpeted garages, my neighbor, who did the same thing for his little corvette, has a driving range in his backyard, complete with a green to chip and put onto. I'll post some pics later. He's been telling me to come over and use it for years, I've finally taken him up on it (its acre away from me)

[RedTop]

Cool Rip. Clubs have changed alot. Hope ya stick with it....its a great game. Lessons could be of some help. I see you posted where you were going to get some. Have fun....keep us Golfers up to date. Be interested to see how ya progress.

Hit em good

[rpm]

I'm building a 9 hole "cowboy course" in my north pasture.
The only problem is I have to wait until I cut hay before I have any kind of fairway and the greens are "West Texas" sand style.

[AWMac]

I have a nice dogleg right over the pool, rock garden, with a pond to the left. The right opens up into a Cul-de-Sac with a storm drain on the inside right.

Takes practice... and a bucket full of kittens.

[Ripsnort]

I have a nice dogleg right over the pool, rock garden, with a pond to the left. The right opens up into a Cul-de-Sac with a storm drain on the inside right.

Takes practice... and a bucket full of kittens.

[Ripsnort]

This is where I am going to practice 3 nights a week. I just have to go through 2 gates (next door neighbor, then the fellow next to him)
He has three platforms from which to drive from. The first is off his deck (which is not pictured) The 2nd platform is show in the first pic.
The third platform is shown in the 2nd pic below.
The first pic is from the rear driving platform(note the driving pad is not on, he takes it off in heavy rains for some reason)  There is a pair of 75 ft. poles on the treeline with a net between them. Hard to see in Pic #1, but you can see the net clearly in Pic #2. Pic #2 is his manicured putting green (he spent $4000 on a special mower that mows greens!)  It has two sand traps on either side, but unfortunately it has a wicked rock draining ditch around the front, so approach shots are nearly impossible, either way, it makes you honest when you chip onto the green.

This is the 2nd "medium length" driving platform



This is the 3rd "up close for kids" platform, here you can see the net.



And the putting green (Looks better in real life, the dark overcast and distance I took this pic does it no justice):

[Masherbrum]

I have a nice dogleg right over the pool, rock garden, with a pond to the left. The right opens up into a Cul-de-Sac with a storm drain on the inside right.

Takes practice... and a bucket full of kittens.

You've gotta call me ahead of time on posting this funny chit.   I just inhaled Root Beer through my nose, It hurt for a second, but the laughing dulled the pain.   

[Airhead]

Rip, remember my first posts here where we discussed your golf game? I pegged you for a slicer way back then.

[Ripsnort]

Here is an update: My first 18 hole game after a 12 year lay-off I shot a 117. 
The 2nd 18 holes a week later I put away my driver and used a 3 iron to tee off with, took 17 strokes off my game (100)
My 3rd game I shot a respectable 96, though I made some bad judgement that I should have thought of before taking the shot (such as the typical "uphill lie" and "Downhill lie" philosophies)

Last Monday, while on vacation, I played 9 holes of golf, and shot a 39 (I had 1 birdie and two birdie opportunities).

Slow, but sure, my game is coming back. I need some serious help on my drivers though....

[angelsandair]

Remember from Happy Gilmore, its all in the hips..... 

[Redlegs]

Yea I went for the first time this year two weeks ago shot a 103. 

[Toad]

Just remember a golf course is just a good rifle range spoiled.

[Halo]

Enjoy your golf revival and be wary too.  Friend of mine, an avid golfer for years, took a 5 iron to an errant ball in the woods behind a small log.  He has done shots like that for many years with no problem.  This shot was a problem. 

The ball hit the log and bounced up to hit him smack in the mouth.  Tooth through the lip, real mess.  I wasn't there, but he told me his longtime buddy drove him to the emergency room and told the nurse, "Hurry up, would you, we have two holes to go."

Luckily a plastic surgeon came by and did some immediate reconstuctive repair.  My friend has to go back for more reconstruction later.

This is another example of Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?  This guy loves golf and just got back into it after a quadruple bypass and many associated health problems.  Not fair.  If there's a cosmic message somewhere, it isn't encouraging.