The Nineteenth Hole

[npalm]

I've had a love-hate relationship with golf for over 50 years. There have been times when I've been totally hooked, playing and practising 2-3 times a week (including putting on the lounge room floor into a glass jar) and times when I have gone years without picking up a club.

These days I just play 9 holes most weeks at Yarrambat with 3 other fellow retirees. I try to focus on enjoying the few good shots I hit and not getting upset at the bad ones.

My chipping has gone to the dogs in recent years and I've been thinking of investing in a chipper. I see that a couple of you have chippers and I'm interested to know what models you have.
There seems to be two main types - ones that looks like a putter with a lofted face and ones that look like a traditional wedge but are shorter and more upright. I'm inclined to go for the former type.

[Pies4shaw]

Misused land, water drains and algal blooms: Why it’s time to put down the golf clubs

https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/07/ ... r-it-to-go

[LaurieHolden]

^ on those 'facts', then we're going to have to close down half of our food production.

Also, I find these objections are likely from those that haven't or don't play sport or have taken an active part in a team.

Sport wise I'm a lawn bowler, tennis player as much as I am a golfer, every time I see another local bowlo or golf club resumed for development, I see a part of a community die that will never be replaced.

It's for another discussion, but the failure of bowlos committees to evolve and embrace the role they play in the community is why so many have hit the wall.
I really had to fight my local bowlo to make them see it's not just about the bowls, it's a community meeting place. I'll endeavor to write some more on this in another forum.

[Bruce Gonsalves]

Another 45 off the stick today. I'm ready for low 40's, I know I can do it.

[LaurieHolden]

Keep at it Bruce. By and large, breaking 90 regularly for me came from getting better at my approaches i.e. hitting more greens in regulation. This meant knowing where the danger was around a green and staying away from it, namely don't fire at the pin if you have to clear bunkers, just go for the safety of the centre of the green. All of a sudden, the double bogeys became a thing of the past.

With that took specific practice on 3 clubs, the 7,8 & 9 irons. Once I better understood how I used these, the more greens I hit and the less putts I took.

As Dirty Harry said Magnum Force "a man's got to know his limitations"

[pietillidie]

I purchased a chipper and I love it. It's very much like a fat head putter. I use it close to the green.

Speaking of Wildlife, at Churchill Park near me we have Kangaroos and I sliced one into a huge male surrounded by his Harem. I left it as a lost ball.

Is that the course up in the hills (I forget their name) above Stud Road? And down the bottom side there's a little public course called something like Tirhatuan Park? Played at both several times, and can remember the roos at Churchill. Great to hear they're still there, as that little area used to have heaps of roos.

From Wheelers Hill where I grew up as a teen there was a stack of courses within reach.

[Culprit]

^^It's now Rowville Lakes run by GSM. It's OK but if they fixed the Tee offs it would be great. Waverly and Churchill Park have merged (been at least 10 years). They are trying to sell Waverly for development but who wants to live under power lines? They can't build on Churchill Park as it's on an old tip. If there were no fences I could walk to the Churchill Park Club rooms in under 10 minutes, but have to drive around there. It's a tough course and offers lots of challenges, they hold Junior championships there.

[Culprit]

Re the Chipper - https://www.golfworld.com.au/slotline-s ... GcQAvD_BwE That's mine one and I love it.

[stui magpie]

^

What sort of distance do you use it from? Just off the green?

[Bruce Gonsalves]

Hey Culprit, I bought the same chipper. It has been fantastic.

Stui, I can use it anywhere from 80 metres out. It has to be chip and run though. You wont get it to pitch and stop on the green from 80, so it needs practice.

[Bruce Gonsalves]

Laurie, as I've missed a lot of years of golf, means I've missed on many changes. I'm still getting used to leaving the stick in when putting on the green!!

What I can't understand is the hybrid clubs, I'm using a 3-4 hybrid, I love it, but to me it's the same as an old 3 wood. Could you enlighten me on hybrids?

[npalm]

If I can 'chip' in here.....as the name suggests hybrids are a cross between a wood and an iron. They have a wood style head but the shaft length is shorter like an iron.
So, a 3 hybrid is much shorter than a 3 wood. It's meant to replace a 3 iron. It has the same shaft length and the same loft as a 3 iron and is meant to go the same sort of distance. Likewise a 4 hybrid replaces a 4 iron.
Hybrids, being shorter and higher lofted won't go as far as a 3 wood.

Hybrids are popular as most people find them much easier to hit than a long iron.
Personally. I've tried them and I can't hit them cleanly for some reason. I always smother\hook them to the left. I prefer my old 3 & 4 irons.

[Culprit]

^

What sort of distance do you use it from? Just off the green?

I use it if I want some loft onto the green, normally 20 metres out. Mind you if I am on a nice fairway I will sometimes use my 6 iron as a putter if I am like 40 metres out.

I have a set of Taylor Made M1's. I got them from a friend who upgrades his clubs regularly. He has a nice set he's offered me but I am not convinced they will improve my game. They will make me look good though,

[Culprit]

npalm, love my Hybrid, and comes in very handy as my rescue club.

Playing Golf, these are my main clubs. Driver, Hybrid, 4 and 7 Iron, 69-degree wedge, Chipper and Putter. I prefer the 69-degree when I land in a bunker to my sand wedge. Mind you some course I land in that many I should bring a bucket and spade. I admire people who have a golf distance finder and say I need a 6-iron for this shot. Me, I look and think let's try to get it straight, worry about the distance later. I know they say this club should hit this distance, give me 5 ordinary golfers and the same club and I guarantee none will hit the same distance let alone straight.

[stui magpie]

^

I've got a full set that's 10 years old mostly, a couple of replacements for ones i've busted.

Driver and 3 wood, 3 and 4 Hybrids, 5-9 irons, pitchen wedge, sandwedge and putter.

3 wood comes in handy on par 5's for the second shot.

I've also got an old short shafted 2 iron (same length as my wedge) which is my recovery club if I'm in trees, can't get a full swing and need to keep the ball low. I can punch that 100m off a part swing. It was old when I got it and I've had it 40 years.

I'm relearning how far I can hit each club with my remodelled action. The clubs I'd use most in a round would be Driver, H4, 5, 7 and wedge.