Scoop Golf Thread

[Chili]

Since I don't get to the range and practice like I should I am just looking to keep my scores in the 90s and have fun. Used to be able to score in the 80s back in college when I could get to the range a few times a week on top of playing.

Best courses I have played:

Butler National (nothing has even come close to this)
Grayhawk - Raptor
Troon North - Monument

Currently in my bag I have:

Driver: Taylor Made R7
3 Wood: Original Callaway Steel Head - Steel Shaft
Irons: Cleveland TA4
Wedges: 53 and 56 Cleveland RTG Wedges
Putter: Nicklaus NI Blade Putter

[MUUWUWM]

Topping the ball...keep your  head down, biggest amateur mistake.. Took me decades to do it...but I still do on occasion:)

I have probally played more this year than ever...normally I don't play till Fathers Day weekend.

I sneak out and play Currie Park which is 2 blocks from me..Milwaukee public course..mostly to save driving time as my time allotments are so erratic.

Shot a 77 today and earlier shot a 76...but then again last weekend shot a 99!..ouch!

[Sir Lawrence]

Yes - played it twice - while the course was not in the shape they had it for the amateurs, everybody in the group shot about 10 strokes more than their normal scores (with both groups, different people eacg group)    Many long, long holes, fescue everywhere, tough greens.   Beautiful course, terrain is amazing in how the holes are laid out - want to play again (need more corporate gigs though as it is pretty $$$).

Fascinating story.  I don't golf, but enjoy watching it, and going to tournaments.  Erin Hills is an incredible story.  After Lang gave in (up?) and the current owner Andy Ziegler bought in, the place has been transformed.  Classic example of "addition by subtraction."  Ziegler took out dozens and dozens of trees, which opened up incredible vistas, and the fescue is now coming in strong.  To get the US Open in 2017, on a course just now coming together, is really remarkable.

[77fan88warrior]

I am around a 12 handicap.  Don't get out as much as I want even though the Univ. of Minnesota course is 2 blocks from my house.  I still use my clubs I bought in 1989....Ricque handmade in Livonia, Michigan.  I always think about what I could shoot with more "modern" clubs.

Spring Hill CC in Wayzata, MN.....good buddy is the Executive Chef there and get to play free every Monday.

Lake Michigan Hills North of Benton Harbor, Mi is a very good course.

Point O' Woods CC just North of Benton Harbor, MI is an unbelievably good course.

You hit two of my favorite courses in Lake Michigan Hills and Point of Woods. Point of Woods is excellent and Lake Michigan Hills is great earlier in the year before sand dunes get baked out as season goes on.
 One of my favorite golf spectator moments was watching Phil Mickelson beat Justin Leonard in Western Am.. I grew up near Butler National and attended Western Open every year for at least 10 years. I had the privilege of caddying in the Western and that was pretty cool for a 17 year old kid.
Highlight of my golfing career was beating my older brother by 7 years after I graduated from MU. I was taking lessons and working on my game quite diligently when he came back that summer. The first round I threw up in my mouth and shot like a 93. I lost by 4 and was none too happy. We played again the next day and I shot a 74 to beat him by like 20 strokes. Older brother lost the mental edge after that!

[Goose]

SirLawrence
Bob Lang is owed a ton by the golfing community. IMO the U.S. Open is his success. He rolled the dice on the project and was completely focused on bringing WI a U.S. Open. I have areal soft spot for Mr. Lang and his kindness. As the course was being built I often went out to walk the area and see the progress. On virtually every occasion Bob always was there and unreal host. In addition, one night weeks prior to opening he gave my wife and I a first class tour of the course one night around sunset. He then invited me to bring a foursome out on the house a week before the grand opening. Upon completing our round he was waiting for us and shared beers in the parking lot with us.

I will never forget the love and work he put into that course and he is a very big part of the course and the history being created there. It really was a great experience watching a man builds project with such passion. Big fan of the course and bigger Bob Lang fan.

[Sir Lawrence]

Goose, I'm sure Lang is a good guy, and had a great vision.  But, he ran out of money. 

[MU82]

Got my first career eagle last week ... in my third decade as a fairly avid golfer.

One of best drives of season (300 plus, right down middle), best 5-iron in several years (180 yarder dead on), 2 1/2 foot putt. Told myself as I approached the putt: "If you miss this, you might NEVER get an eagle." Nice positive thought, eh? But even I couldn't miss that one.

Just a few days earlier, I was less than a foot away from my first career hole-in-one, so maybe I'm aging like fine wine!!!

[4everwarriors]

Did the 48 inch muskie fall off the line too?

[Hoopaloop]

Injured about 5 years ago that has taken me out of the game.  Could go under the knife but have decided against it.

Prior to that, about a 12.    Taylor Made woods, Callaway irons.

Played Doral one time in Florida and several of the PGA courses in Arizona and California. 

[MUBurrow]

Cobra irons and driver. Callaway wedges. Looking to replace the driver, but haven't been able to justify the cost to do so yet. Its a 10.5 degree offset with a regular shaft, which leads to me getting way too high up in the air and losing a ton of distance. Looking into switching into something more like a non offset, 9 degree stiff shaft.

[NCAARules]

Really, I'm a hacker. but I love the game anyways.

TM Irons. No woods. Recently got a hybrid that I'm learning to play.

I'm an 18-25, depending on the day, which is good enough to beat anyone I typically play with. Always wondered how good I could get if I was able to hit a wood off the tee. My game from 170yds-in is above average.

I learned to play on an old set of forged irons, but never hit the persimmon woods that went with them. When I moved to a cavity-backed iron, tried the woods, never got comfy with them on the tee (off the deck is a different matter).

Where to play? One of my local favorites is Fire Ridge.

[Ahoya06]

I'm high 90's-low 100's, but getting better.

I've got hand-me-down Callaway irons, a Cobra Speed LD driver (the best thing to ever happen to my golf game), and just added Tommy Armour wedges and a hybrid into my bag.

Mostly play the MKE county courses, which, with the discount card, provide a great bang for the buck.

[DegenerateDish]

On the flip side, my vote for most overrated course I've ever played is Harborside. Played it for the first time last summer, didn't think it matched the hype.

[Chili]

On the flip side, my vote for most overrated course I've ever played is Harborside. Played it for the first time last summer, didn't think it matched the hype.

I would go with TPC - Scottsdale. Troon and Grey Hawk were way more fun and scenic for less money.

[TallTitan34]

I'm low 100's.

I was pumped this weekend when I birdied a par 5 for the first time in my life.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Going to Whistling Straights with my girlfriends dad, this should be interesting

He's won tournaments with his late father, and wants to take me there.  Needless to say I don't play as much as him, and i'm in fear of embarrassing myself.  i can hold my own on an average course,(high 70's low 80's) but when the man shells out $350 per player plus $160 for a manditory caddy, I feel i'm in over my head here.

Advice?

Lucky you didn't play the River course

[Golden Avalanche]

On the flip side, my vote for most overrated course I've ever played is Harborside. Played it for the first time last summer, didn't think it matched the hype.

South side Chicago Harborside?

Played those tracks quite a bit around 2002-2005 when I lived in the city. At the time, there wasn't much noise around the courses but I enjoyed them. Have to give them points for the anchor cut into the par 3 on the Port course.

Then again, hard as it is to imagine, that's a decade to seven years ago so a lot can change.

[tower912]

Harborside (Chicago) the golf course isn't as important as Harborside the symbol.   It is a decent course.   I've played better links style courses in the midwest.   However, what it represents, finding a productive use for land on top of a landfill, is really great.   More places should try it.   

[Lennys Tap]

13.6 index - at 63 my putter has deserted me (insert Viagra joke here). Favorite courses of all time - Royal County Down (N Ireland) and Tralee (regular old Ireland). Favorites in the states - Lost Dunes and Arcadia Bluffs (Michigan), Black Wolf Run - River Course (Wis), TPC - Sawgrass (Fla) and the Stadium Course at PGA West (Cal). Most overated? Anything in Arizona.

[Goose]

Lenny,
Agreed on AZ courses. As much as I love golf I would have hard time with steady diet of AZ golf. We are very spoiled in the upper midwest with great courses and glad we are!!

[ATWizJr]

What about Florida courses?

[Goose]

ATWiz
Soft spot for FL because have spent a lot of time there in my life. Would take FL courses over AZ.

[tower912]

Lenny's, one of my proudest achievements is a 78 from the tips at Arcadia Bluffs.   38 Putts because the greens were so fast and so hard to figure out on the first visit.    I have no experience on Az courses, but the Bermuda rough on Fla courses always messes me up.   I am sure that if I played it often enough, I would figure it out. 

[MUBurrow]

Lenny,
Agreed on AZ courses. As much as I love golf I would have hard time with steady diet of AZ golf. We are very spoiled in the upper midwest with great courses and glad we are!!

that's God's way of saying that no one should be playing golf in places where it only rains 7 in/year.

[Lennys Tap]

Lenny's, one of my proudest achievements is a 78 from the tips at Arcadia Bluffs.   38 Putts because the greens were so fast and so hard to figure out on the first visit.    I have no experience on Az courses, but the Bermuda rough on Fla courses always messes me up.   I am sure that if I played it often enough, I would figure it out. 

That's some serious ball strikin', Tower.