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brianhorne8's WITB, Course Photos, and Other Crap


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This is my first WITB post. I've had the new sticks for about five months now, so wear is starting to set in. I don't know how you guys keep your clubs so pristine! I actually like how dinged up stuff gets. Character, right? I'll be breaking the posts up into sections to keep it a little more organized, and I'll try to post course photos when I remember to take my camera to the course with me. Trip to the Big Island at the end of May, so there should be a little eye candy soon enough. Until then, you'll get random Denver area courses.

 

Anyway, I got the entire set (save the putter) built by Dan Weitzel here in Denver. Dan is an awesome guy who knows his stuff, and I've been really happy with how everything feels and performs up to now. With the goal of lower ball flight, lower spin, and more consistency in mind, here's what we came up with:

 

THE BAG ITSELF

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As for the bag itself, it's an Ogio Grom. I love everything about the bag...with the exception of the straps. Ogio actually overbuilt them and they end up a little tough to work with initially. They've loosened up over time, but they're just finnicky enough to annoy me when you need to move quick. Great bag with plenty of well thought out storage and details, outside of that. I don't mind the extra weight, and the legs are sturdy, which was one of the biggest things I was looking for in a new bag when I bought last year. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the individual diamond configured dividers, but I love them after the adjustment period. I'm an Ogio fan for sure now.

 

As for the rest of the gear, stay tuned to the next posts.

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DRIVER

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My driver for the foreseeable future is a Powerbilt AFO DFX which I bought on a whim here on the BST. I'd read a few really positive reviews and for the price asked of the head, I thought it was worth a gamble. I couldn't find a fairway with my Callaway Diablo Octane Tour, largely because it was never the right club for me, and I had the wrong shaft on it. So the starting point was the AFO DFX. I went rouge before my fitting with Dan and bought a Graphite Designs YS6+ because of all I'd heard about it, and because the specs, flex, kick point, etc matched the stock shafts on my former FW and hybrids. I was very wrong and the driver still proved to be a fickle beast. Enter Dan.

 

Within about five swings in my first fitting session, I could hear him saying "I think I've already got the answer." He knew a few things: Spin wasway too high, launch angles were too high, and the YS6+ just did not fit my swing (not to mention it was poorly installed). Lesson learned. I took my medicine and realized I wasn't going to figure it out on my own. Dan's gamer (JPX 850) had a Speeder 757 in it and so we set the weighting and loft to as closely match the AFO as possible. Bam. We have a winner. We tested a few other options but nothing came close to the predictability of the Speeder...not to mention the affordability. Fitting 1 - Brian 0.

 

I really enjoy hitting this club now. The Speeder just feels so locked in all the time. I've always enjoyed the matte finish on the AFO DFX, as well as the shape of the head. The sound is a little off-putting at first, but you get used to it. The bottom line is that I'm hitting fairways and seeing much more consistent and lower trajectory and spin numbers. Mission accomplished. Oh yeah, and we paired the whole setup with my grip of choice, the Pure P2 Wrap. I'm opting for comfort over feel this time around, and my hands are thanking me. The only drag about the grip on the driver is that for some reason, Pure sent us 12 solid blue grips and one blue and white. Given the white shaft on the driver, we decided to put it on there. No biggie.

 

My mother-in-law wanted to get me a funny headcover for Christmas, but ended up buying plain black ones. I thought she knew me better than that! As someone who really just enjoys playing the game and likes a little something interesting, I took the black ones back (with her blessing) and got Yoda since she said she waffled on him before opting for plain ones. I'm not a crazy Star Wars fan, but Yoda is fun to look at!

 

I've debated going to get an F6+ or LTD, but really don't feel like spending the money when I could just practice more. I just don't care enough about five yards or so when I'm already carrying it a consistent 275-285 and seeing more rollout (thanks, altitude!) Onward!

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FAIRWAY

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With the driver sorted, we moved on to matching up a similar shaft in the fairway and hybrid. My gamer 3W at the time was a Cobra Baffler T-Rail, which I adored...but launch was off the charts and we felt like it was leaving yards on the table. I know I said in the last post I'm not all that concerned with five or so yards, but gapping was going to become an issue, so we had a meeting of the minds (rather, I found a good deal online and took a gamble. Sorry, Dan). I'd hit a few demo fairways before and am a general Cobra fan, so I wanted to keep it in the family if possible, so Bio Cell it was. Dan suggested the matching Speeder for the BC, but I balked at the price. We landed on a very similar UST shaft, the VTS Tour SPX 85 S. Great feel, and really similar to the Speeder. I've got the loft set at 15.5 and this club just makes the ball go. Another win.

 

Historically speaking, fairway woods have been the strong part of my game, so this thing is really my comfort club. If I'm feeling shaky off the tee, I'll turn to this. The orange head is awesome to look at, the size and shape is good, and the feel is fantastic. I love the sound it makes on a really well struck shot. I don't know how to describe it. Maybe "lively" is the word I'm looking for.

 

Sorry for the lack of brevity! Regardless, onto the hybrid.

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HYBRID

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Same story here. I had a Baffler T-Rail 4 hybrid that I couldn't make move off the target line, but launch was so high and gapping was just a nightmare after fitting the 3W and irons, so I snagged a 3/4 Fly-Z demo and loved it. We put the matching UST VTS Tour SPX 100 S in it and it's night and day. With the entire bag, we were really going for consistent feel from club to club, so everything is a progressive weighting. Top to bottom, the swingweights move to accommodate the changing lengths in clubs, so in practice, my 50º feels very close to what I'm getting out of my 4i. I love it. The Cobra is set to 19.5 right now, and I don't see that changing.

 

I feel equally confident with that as I did with my Baffler, but gapping is so much better now. The clubface feels extremely hot, feel is great and really carries over a lot of the good that came with the Bio Cell. I can't say enough about what Cobra has done in the last four years with the top end of their bag.

 

I had the little sock headcover Cobra give you with the Fly-Z, but my wife and I were looking for furniture one day in a thrift store and I came across this set of MacGregor covers sitting in an old bag. $5 later, I had a funky little cover to go on the hybrid. I dig it, even if the brands don't match. Cheaper than a Robert Mark, Iliac, or Stitch! I'll make my own one day, but for now, this is cool.

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IRONS

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Ah, the JPX 850 Forged. What is there to say about them that hasn't already been said in other threads? Lovely feel, even if not quite the same softness of previous Mizuno efforts. Dan and I worked through both the XR and Apex offerings, as well as the MP-H5, MP-25, JPX-EZ Forged...but nothing topped the combination of feel, consistency, forgiveness, and looks that the 850 Forged brought to the table. My pride wanted so badly to end up with the 25's, but the JPX ended up winning the day by a hair.

 

In the shaft battle, we tried a LOT of KBS offerings, as well as some DG's I can't remember, and the PX 6.0. I liked the PX, but the KBS offerings felt better...so it was down to C-Tapers and the Tour S 120. At that point, it was a cost/performance combo I was looking for, and the C-Tapers, nice as they were, just pushed things a little out of my price range. For me, feel and flight were similar enough between the two that the 120 just made sense from a "what the heck else can I get for my money" perspective. And so, I've got 4-PW JPX 850 with KBS Tour S 120 shafts in them. I couldn't be happier. I'm surprised when I look down from over the ball at how relatively compact they are to my eye. Feel is off the charts compared to pretty much everything else I tried from other non-Mizuno brands. Nice work, Mizzy.

 

Part of the reason to go with heavier shafts was my desire to be able to feel the clubhead during my swing. Maybe it's some mental thing, but with the way we worked out the weighting, I feel much more in tune with where I am during a swing, if that makes sense. It's helping to keep me in tempo and make more consistent contact.

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WEDGES

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With the wedges, we decided to go without the JPX gap wedge and do a 50º of my choosing, alongside whatever else I ended up with. This was far and away the hardest part of testing for me, especially when you start toying with bounces/grinds. I'd never done a club test as extensive as what I went through with the wedges. I'd hit Vokeys in the past, as well as some Cleveland offerings...but I was really into the idea of giving Mizuno stuff a shot, and had heard enough good press about the PM grind MD3 that I ended up mostly toying with those.

 

First off: The PM grind SUCKS. Maybe that's a strong statement, but I did not get on with it at all. Too big to look at, and it wasn't this all-encompassing bunker tool everyone made it out to be. Part of that is probably on my technique, but I actually enjoy a bunker shot every now and again, and love flop shots more than any man probably should. The PM didn't do it for me. Too bad, because it's funky, and I like funky. The standard MD3 felt pretty okay, but they really did pale in comparison to the MP-T5 and the S5. Funny thing about those two clubs is they're basically the same, with slightly different head shapes and a really kick a** color option in the S5. I flopped to my heart's content (I am a soccer player, too. Maybe that's why I like flopping?) and it really couldn't have mattered less which I chose, but I loved the blue S5...so that was it.

 

As for the shaft, we talked and decided to keep the feel very, rigid feeling. We ended up tossing 8i KBS Tour 130 X in because one of Dan's wedges I'd demoed had that combo and I, again, loved the predictability of it. It's probably not for everyone, but it suits me very well, and I've noticed my short game progress massively. Now if I can just figure out why I've got a case of the shanks right now. I get the odd hosel rocket and I think it's due to setting up too close to the ball. I'll probably post a swing video one of these days and we can figure out as a team. Teamwork makes the dream work, right?

 

I'm hoping that there's some way this blue wears into the stainless steel underneath, which then rusts. I love how they're wearing over time, but adding rust to it would just look so neat. Fingers crossed, but from what I'm seeing, it won't happen. I might try to manipulate it down the road, but not right now.

 

I'll probably also stamp these guys, but I'm waiting to come up with something clever. Any suggestions?

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PUTTER

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Hello, Old Reliable. As much as I've lusted after other putters through the years, two things have held constant:

 

1) I don't want to spend big dough on a flatstick.

2) Nothing rolls the ball like this thing.

 

And so, sixteen years after I bought it with my hard-earned money, the Dual Force 222 stays in the bag. I lost the headcover years ago (or threw it out because I thought headcovers weren't cool) and replaced it with this found Metal X cover. That'll do for now, until I figure out what to get on my custom Delilah cover. Until then, phony Metal X I have. I might pull the stitching from the X and just have it say METAL and sew in a really crappy skull or something. How metal would that be?

 

The club was cut from 35" to 33" where it currently plays. Original shaft is still in, and the grip has only been replaced once. Yep.

 

Seriously though, if there's ever a shortage of 222's in the world, it's because I've decided to buy them all. You can't really refinish them because of how the insert is situated in the putter, and I don't really care! I love the wear on this thing, and it'll probably get passed down to my unborn children after it's kicked their sorry butts all over the course for decades.

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BALLS (lol)

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Vice rules. At 95% of the performance and half the cost of other top-tier balls, I'll keep this in the bag. The Pro Plus has great spin, good looks, and great durability. I'm a happy customer. As a creative type, I appreciate the style Vice brings to the table. Their packaging is the coolest I've ever seen, and my personal experience with their customer service was top-notch. Other folks around here have had some issues lately, so I'll keep an eye on that, but I've yet to...so I'm still a customer. Everyone should at least give these a run. I was waffling between the Pro Plus and the Snell MTB, but the cost and packaging just made these stand out. I'm glad I took the plunge.

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Great set-up, informative posts.

 

Does the Grom have 14 full-length dividers? How is it's weight for carrying? Do you ever use it on a push cart of any kind?

 

I have an old Mizuno MP-T 56* wedge that I love and have been trying to decide on a gap wedge. What do you use yours for, mostly full shots or for short game as well? Did you try the stock shaft in either of the Mizuno wedges, if so, what did you think?

WITB
Driver: Callaway Epic Max LS, stock stiff, 9*
3 wood: TaylorMade Sim2 Max, stock stiff, 15*,
Hybrid: Callaway XR Pro stock pro stiff 18*
Irons: Callaway Apex (2014) 4-AW, KBS Tour-V 110 S
Wedges: Mizuno MP-T 56*; Callaway X Series Jaws 60*
Putter: Scotty Cameron Select Fastback

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Great set-up, informative posts.

 

Does the Grom have 14 full-length dividers? How is it's weight for carrying? Do you ever use it on a push cart of any kind?

 

I have an old Mizuno MP-T 56* wedge that I love and have been trying to decide on a gap wedge. What do you use yours for, mostly full shots or for short game as well? Did you try the stock shaft in either of the Mizuno wedges, if so, what did you think?

 

I LOVE the Grom. Like I said, the straps can get annoying initially because they're so rigid and they way the suspension system works causes them to want to twist. But over time, they break in and feel great. The bag is a little on the heavy side, but I walk/carry every round I play if it doesn't include a cart. I've never put it on a push cart, but I can't see it being a problem. It's even got a cart strap on the side and back to make strapping in easier, and I'd imagine that holds true for push carts. I'm turning 30 this year, and have always carried relatively bulky bags, so the weight on this is no concern. I think the suspension system does a really nice job of distributing the load...and at the end of the day, I really wanted a good amount of storage, full-length dividers, and a neat look. So to answer the other question, yes, it's got 14 full-length dividers. Configuring clubs can be a little tricky at first, but once you find the system that works for you, it's awesome. My little brother has an Ogio with the Wood-E system, and it's also great. Full-length dividers but with 7-8 compartments instead of individual ones. I don't think you'll go wrong with an Ogio bag.

 

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Is that the MP-T you have?! Great wedge to this day. I actually think you'll find that they feel somewhat similar, with the S5 weighing a bit more. I'll usually reach for the 50º for distances from of about 75-105. I also play it for a lot of chips, but I don't have many problems playing any of my wedges for different shots. The short game is easy to get better at when it doesn't cost you anything to practice!

 

I probably tried the stock shaft, but I honestly don't remember. I tried a LOT of wedges that day, but kept running back to the configuration I ended up with. If you know what you like, it might not even be an upcharge from Mizuno. The MP-T5 and the S5 are nearly identical wedges, with the S5 only being slightly more rounded. Feel across the board was indistinguishable though. You'll be happy with whatever you choose.

 

I dig the eclectic makeup of your bag! Love seeing crazy, mixed stuff.

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Thanks for the feedback on the grom. Yes, on the picture of the MP-T wedge. Mine is the black nickel finish. I see used 51* MP-T's on ebay and am constantly considering getting one, but I'm also not in love with my 60* so am considering changing everything out to a new 51*, 56*, 60* set up or 50*, 54*, 58* set-up ... but I feel so comfortable with the 56* I have that I'm scared to change anything. Your last comment reminded me to update my signature: I switched out the Cobra Baffler hybrid for a 24* that matches XR Pro 18*, and I benched the X hot pro 6 iron, in favor of the x-forged 6 iron.

 

The electric nature of my bag is a desire to spend as little as possible, but find stuff that works! I'm in love with the G20 driver and the SLDR TP 3 wood (this one took some getting used to, but now I feel right at home), as well as the MP-T 56*, I'm never quite satisfied with (any) irons. I hit the JPX 825 pro irons into a net and they felt great. What do you think about the 850 forged?

WITB
Driver: Callaway Epic Max LS, stock stiff, 9*
3 wood: TaylorMade Sim2 Max, stock stiff, 15*,
Hybrid: Callaway XR Pro stock pro stiff 18*
Irons: Callaway Apex (2014) 4-AW, KBS Tour-V 110 S
Wedges: Mizuno MP-T 56*; Callaway X Series Jaws 60*
Putter: Scotty Cameron Select Fastback

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If my wife's grandmother weren't so generous, I would not own much of any of this gear. But she is, and so I seized my one opportunity to go nuts and buy up some decent stuff after a fitting. I wanted to get fitted right once and see what happens. I don't plan on buying new gear for a LONG time after this, except possibly swapping a driver head in a year or so. I just think we've hit a point where there's not enough to be gained from year on year upgrades, so it feels like spending money just to spend it.

 

Now, as for the 850s, I love them. I'd never have bought them without the circumstances stated earlier, but I had a chance to get brand new clubs and I took it...especially since I don't see myself changing within the next five years or so. The 850 is, to me, the perfect blend of forgiveness, distance, feel, and control. Others have said they don't feel quite as nice as Mizunos of old...but I have a hard time imagining how much better they could get. Pured shots feel like nothing I've ever felt, and they almost feel like nothing at all. They aren't shovels, and from the top down, you'd be hard pressed to hate what you see. If you're thinking about them, go hit them. If the 825 feels similar, just get the 825. You might leave a yard or two on the table, but you'll have more money in your pocket to play.

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First course photos post. My "home" course and personal favorite, Murphy Creek in Aurora, CO. It's a links-style farm-themed course with a lot of bunkers, some tricky tee shots, and some really fun holes. I like playing here because of the mix of challenge, conditions, and affordability. At $39 walking during the week, to me, it's a steal. It rained/snowed for four straight days from Thursday-Sunday here in Denver, but the course is in pretty excellent shape, all things considered. Now they just need to get hold of their prairie dog problem out that way...

 

Here's a quick tour from the dawn patrol's perspective. Played from the blues (second to back) so yardage is 6909. Sorry for all the wide shots, but I like really narrow cropping.

 

#1 (Par 4, 345) Tee shot is really all about avoiding the bunkers right. There's also a bunker at the back edge of the fairway. 3W is my play here, as I've been in that back bunker far too often from too good a drive.

 

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#2 (Par 4, 467) A straightforward hole that I hate with every fiber of my being. It plays longer than it looks, and I invariably find myself in the swale down to the left of the fairway. The green is tucked behind a little ditch off to the right. I don't know what it is about this relatively straightforward hole...but it's in my head and I can't seem to walk away with anything but a bogey or worse here. Never start my round of well, but I'm optimistic every time! What a fool I am.

 

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#5 (Par 3, 152) The view from the green. Tee boxes are back on the other side of the waste area. The tips on this hole are set fifty yards farther back, and the wind is almost always a two club wind into your face. No matter where they cut the hole, it's a tough shot. Don't leave it short in the bunkers just at the front edge (which you can't see in this picture.

 

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#6 (Par 5, 514) A short par five that requires a good tee shot. I like to carry the bunkers dead center, and then the hole doglegs left to the green, which is near that white house to the left. There's some margin for error if you miss left or right, but it gets tough if you push or pull it too much. It's actually a pretty short hole, but the bunker placement makes it tricky. There's a bunker protecting the green to the left, and a magnet of a bunker in the center of the fairway just a bit behind the one you're trying to carry.

 

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#9 (Par 4, 311) I love this hole. Be brave and carry the gulch to the left and you'll have an eagle putt. That's really the only advice I have, because I don't think laying up makes this hole easier. You're still left with 100ish into a green that slopes left from the angle you'll be hitting from. Miss long and you're OB. Miss left and you're OB. Miss right and you're probably on the hill hitting a chip down to a green that now slopes away from you toward the red stakes. Good luck.

 

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#11 (Par 3, 195) That's the #10 green to the left. Once again, you're probably looking at a two club wind into your face. Just get this shot onto the green, two-putt, and take the par. Birdies are especially tough when the hole is cut to the far left side of the green. Another really challenging par three.

 

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#13 (Par 5, 519) Doglegs hard left. Reachable in two, but the second shot is easy to put into the bunker that protects the green dead center. A momentary reprieve from the unpictured par four #12.

 

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Second shot after the dogleg.

 

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#14 (Par 4, 421) Water left with a green that slopes toward the water on the back edges. It's really easy to get within less than 100 yards of the green with a good tee shot, but it's also easy to psych yourself out and put one in the water. Ask me how I know...

 

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From the green looking back. Love those mountains.

 

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#17 (Par 3, 225) God only knows what the wind is doing up there. My favorite hole on the course, and most everyone else's least favorite. The first thing anyone said to me about this hole was "Lay up and take the bogey." Hybrid is my play here, and I almost always somehow walk away with a birdie (which is sometimes the only takeaway from miserable rounds). Chipped in today from the front edge when the hole was cut back center. I think it was close to 75 feet or so. Do. Not. Miss...well, to either side.

 

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#18 (Par 4, 440) This is an absolutely fantastic finishing hole. Clubhouse and Rockies in back. Slightly elevated green. Tee shot either has to carry the waste area on the right, or split the opening to the left where a bunker waits to swallow up anything remotely resembling a pull. If you miss right, you're probably making a baseball swing out of a fluffy lie on the edge of the waste area. I don't know how it happens, but it seems to any time I miss the fairway.

 

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So there you go: A little tour of some holes from my favorite local course. Challenging, but fair. If you find yourself in the Denver area, give this place a look.

 

For all wondering, YES, I do have a job! I just freelance and set my own hours and/or travel. I'm not a total bum. Most of the other pictures I post won't be this in-depth, but this is a place I know relatively well...so I figured I'd share some local knowledge.

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I have the same Yoda headcover on my fairway. My son gave it to me and it's never leaving the bag.

 

And it's a good headcover! Treasure it.

 

We're trying for our first right now (well, not right now). I can't wait to get wacky stuff from them to keep in my bag. Yoda from my mother-in-law will suffice for now!

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Agreed - 17 at Murphy is tough. And is #2 always into the wind or what?

 

Bag sets up nice and Dan does great work. May need to see him this summer to check my driver shaft out...

Mizuno JPX900 EvoIII S (weights center channel port 1 & 2)
Mizuno GT190 Atmos Blue 6S
Mizuno CLK 19* Speeder EVO HB S
Titleist 4i AMT S300
Mizuno JPX 900 Forged 5-G KBS Tour
Mizuno S18 54.8/58.8
Carbon Ringo 1/4
Balls : 2017 ProV1x / KSig / Vice Pro+
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Agreed - 17 at Murphy is tough. And is #2 always into the wind or what?

 

Bag sets up nice and Dan does great work. May need to see him this summer to check my driver shaft out...

 

Love #17. I could just play a loop of the par 3's there and be happy. As for #2...I don't even know. I just can't seem to walk away without a double most of the time. One of these days...

 

Dan really is a great dude. You know he's got a Cobra account now?! I think he'll be able to sort you out just fine.

 

Side note, I can't seem to get a video to embed. Any idea how?

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A new day, another round. Today I played Riverdale (Dunes) out in Brighton, CO. This one's another favorite of mine, and it's always in impeccable shape. I teed off at 7:14 this morning and had the Dunes course all to myself. I'd rather not divulge just how badly I played today, but we'll say, for the sake of documentation, that my iron game was nonexistent. Wedges, once again, were impeccable, and I left myself a pretty hearty amount of one-putts. Whether I should have been hitting some of those wedges is another story entirely. On to the photos and mini-descriptors!

 

**Author's note: I played from the blues today (and ended up with the blues by the end of the round :cry:). The Dunes plays at 6430 yards from there, and from the golds (tips), it plays at 7067 yards. Nothing too intimidating here.**

 

#1 (Par 4, 358)

They're kind enough to ease you into the round with this one. A simple 3W down the middle to avoid the crud in the back of the fairway should leave you with 95 yards or so into the pin. Definitely birdieable. I will say this one's a little tougher in the mornings when you're a dew sweeper and staring into the rising sun, which happens quite a bit on this course.

 

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At the dogleg.

 

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#2 (Par 4, 339) A potentially driveable with only the biggest of hitters, this one's a fun one to add to the opening sequence. The issue with this green is that the fairway cuts in from the right and makes getting after it a tall order. Once again, 3W off the tee is the order of the day to leave a wedge in.

 

tumblr_o6xfqxfaIz1snx021o5_1280.jpg

 

#3 (Par 5, 576) Super straight forward par five. Keep it straight. The rough is thick, and the taller grass is even worse. You're hurting if you miss the fairway.

 

tumblr_o6xfqxfaIz1snx021o2_1280.jpg

 

#7 (Par 4, 378) Water left here. Get your drive in play and this hole is pretty simple.

 

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#9 (Par 4, 465) This one has just enough length to stretch you a little, especially with some of the really devious places they can put the pin. After a little dogleg left, the green is surrounded by mounds, and often times the pin gets tucked at the back right, leaving you with a blind second shot in. I love the view on this hole, with the clubhouse in the background and the Rockies even further back. Gorgeous, especially on days like today.

 

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#12 (Par 3, 166) I usually love par threes, but this one is the bane of my existence. Water left, and a giant mound right. I've put more than my fair share of balls in and on both, so I play this hole a club longer than I should. I'd rather be dry! Plus, with a green that slopes ever so slightly back downhill, you can be the recipient of a gratuitous roll on a lucky day. Seriously though, don't hit it in the water here.

 

tumblr_o6xfqxfaIz1snx021o7_1280.jpg

 

#14 (Par 4, 325) There's a mound off the left of the tee box that blocks your view of the green. If you carry it, you've probably left yourself less than 60 yards in. OB comes pretty quick to the left, so don't hook it, and off to the right is mounded and thick rough.

 

tumblr_o6xfqxfaIz1snx021o8_1280.jpg

 

#18 (Par 4, 333) Most of the par fours on the course are pretty short, but they require good placement off the tee. There's two choices here. You can bail out left and leave yourself 150 yards in, or you can aim right, carry your ball a little longer, and leave 60-75 yards in. I choose the latter, and it's often a safe play if your tendency is to miss left. Loads of fairway to work with, but there's nothing for you right if your miss is that direction.

 

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So that's Riverdale (Dunes). They have a more parkland style course (Knolls) that I've not played, but it's always in equally great shape from what I can tell. This one's another gem in the Denver area. For $39 walking on a weekday, you could do a LOT worse.

 

Next stop, Hawaii! We're playing (tentatively) Makalei, Big Island CC, and Hapuna. I'm going to do my darndest to get on at Mauna Kea, but if I can't find a deal, cheaper courses it will be. I'll be on golf hiatus from Thursday thru May 27, so my game will be nice and rusted over when we tee it up on the Big Island. Looking forward to having more subjects in my shots in the next three or four rounds. Until then!

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Awesome work BH.

What are you using to take these photos?

 

Thanks for the compliment! I carry my Fuji X100S with me, but I'll only break it out if I have time. I'm a ready golf kind of guy, but with early morning rounds comes some freedom to pause and snap some photos or video. If you want to see some other samples of what the camera can do, check out my ***SHAMELESS PLUG*** website, brianhorne.net.

 

Oh, I also run all my stuff through Lightroom so I can organize, edit a little, etc. I like the film look, so I usually slap a Kodak filter on to add a little grain and make it feel more "right" to me.

 

Really looking forward to what I can snap in Hawaii. We're going to play a couple of twilight rounds, and I'm getting excited about how sunset photos on the course will turn out.

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You did a really nice job with this thread. Great photos!

 

May the Force be with you. :-)

 

Much appreciated. I figure if I've got the time and means to tell a little story of the courses I play, I'll do it. I'm just glad someone's enjoying it. I'm not the best golfer, but I do enjoy just getting out there (although today was a test of my resolve). I also can't and won't change my gear enough to really make keeping a WITB worth it.

 

The best part about this all is that it'll give me an incentive to go play some places I don't get around to as much.

 

I love that Yoda cover.

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  • 2 weeks later...

the clubs in the bag are driving me crazy!

 

really like your bad + pics and thread!

Titleist Ts2 10.5* GD DI 6x
Titliest 915 5w 18* GD DI 7x
Callaway Apex 23*h Oban Devotion 
Callaway Apex 26*h GD DI 85x
Srixon 785 6-PW Nippon 105 Modus
Titleist SM7 50*, 54*, 58* Nippon 115 Modus 
Odyssey #7 Plumber Neck 
2018 Taylormade tp5


https://www.instagram.com/benzoducky/ 



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I like that dunes course, looks great!

 

It's a fantastic place to play. One of the true bargains around the Denver area. You can tee off on a weekday for less than $40 walking, and it's always in top-notch condition. Their Knolls course looks like it's kept in stellar shape as well, but I've never given it a go, and you can play it for less than $30 walking. Riverdale is doing something very, very right.

 

Love the Dunes. One of my favorite Co. courses...

 

Dunes is great. Eats my lunch every time, for whatever reason. It doesn't feel overly long from any tees except the back, but I just never bring my A game to it.

 

Any recs on where I should play and photograph next in CO? While I love my Murphy/Riverdale rotation, I want to mix it up for you guys (and for science!). I've heard great things about Coal Creek, but I'm happy to entertain suggestions. Must cost less than $40 and allow walking though.

 

By this time in two weeks, I'll have had three rounds in Hawaii under my belt. Makalei, Big Island CC, and Hapuna are booked up. Ready to rock and roll!

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