Gentles' WITB - March 2020 Update

[moony_12]

Have you made it back to NZ? I'm all set up in Auckland at Titirangi now.

 

Let me know if you're heading up and want a game!

[gentles]

> @moony_12 said:

> Have you made it back to NZ? I'm all set up in Auckland at Titirangi now.

>

> Let me know if you're heading up and want a game!

 

Yes! Got back a few weeks ago getting settled in again. Having been away I definitely want to try see some of the better courses NZ has to offer so would love to try get out at Titirangi. We're planning a trip up in the next month or so will reach out once we have a date to see if you're around.

 

Not too many changes on the WITB front. Windy conditions back home mean I'm putting a UDI 2 iron in the bag in place of the hybrid, but still figuring out the best way to setup the top of the bag. Will upload some pics shortly of the mess that is my backup bag!

[moony_12]

Where have you settled on?

 

We've slipped a little in the rankings this last year but that's mainly down to being a par 68 whilst the new 17th grew in. I'll be out of Auckland for most of December but anytime before or after is good.

[gentles]

 

dfdDecember 2019 Update - one year on from the last update. Moved back from Canada to New Zealand, must say I'm enjoying being able to play golf in the holiday season again! 2019 was my worst year in a long time for my golf game...I think spening a winter playing on simulators messed up a few things in my alignment that I'm still working through almost 6 months later.

I spent the summer of 2019 road tripping across North America, so despite the sorry state of my golf game I was able to play so many amazing courses on the way. Few of my favourite pics added to this thread

 

16th tee at Cabot Cliffs in Inverness, Nova Scotia

16th Green at sunset at Tobiano Golf Club in Kamloops, British Columbia

Dinosaur Trail Golf Course in Drumheller, Alberta

Kananaskis, Alberta

Now onto the gear - living out of the car for 4 months meant I had little opportunity for tinkering, but have made a few tweaks to the bag since I've been back:Driver: Mizuno ST190 9.5 w/ Aldila Tour Blue 75x 44.5" / D4

This replaced a 2016 M2 that I had been using for 2 seasons prior. Love the look of the ST190, and I've never come across a head as friendly on thin strikes (my miss) as this one. Love the feel of the Aldila shaft so will take a lot to get it out of the bag!

Fairway: Mizuno ST190 TS w / Aldila Tour Blue 85x 42.75" / D4

Big revolving door for me this part of the bag but this head might be a keeper. Not as deep as the 3deep i've used, but definitely works well off the tee. I don't tend to hit many 3 woods off the ground so I'm mainly looking for something that goes 20-30 yards shorter than a driver.Hybrids / Driving Irons: Callaway Apex 18* w/ Aldila NVS 105x, Taylormade UDI 3 + 5 w/ AMT X100

Another revolving door which I'm not sure I've cracked yet. In my backup bag I have a 2,3, and 4 Callaway Apex hybrids, and 2,3,4,5 OG TM Udi. At the moment I'm using the 2 hybrid, and the 3&5 UDIs. The courses I play are typically very windy, so I need options to hit low stinger-type shots off the tee while still being able to flight the ball up when I need to as well. The 3udi is mainly a tee club, while the 2 hybrid launches a bit higher and is a bit more friendly off the ground. Needless to say I'm still not 100% sold on this setup yet and it will change every other round.

Irons: Taylormade P770 6-A w/ AMT X100

Going strong and sticking in the bag for now, really enjoy the way these heads interact with the turf. Recently put the P and A wedges back in over "wedge" style heads, as these clubs tend to be full shot only for me.

Wedges: Ping Glide 1.0 54/58 w/ S400

Still the ugly ducking and still in the back. In the last few weeks i've tried the Taylormade Milled Grind, Ping Glide 2.0 and Bridgestone XW and none have been able to kick out these Pings. Found a new 58* to replace my worn out one so I suspect I'll be sticking with these for a while yet! I've got a 50* and 47* that have been used before, but trying out the P and A from the P770 at the moment.

Putter:

Another mainstay - going on 4 years in the bag now. I'm tinkering around with some option for putters without a sight line as I want to test out the impact they have on my aim but for now this is int he bag.

Headcovers/Bag/Extras/

Spent the summer with a Ping Moonlite that barely fitted 14 clubs in it, nice to be back to a regular size carry bag...picked up a TM Flextech Lite.

Driver cover is a Stitch leather one I've had for years and needs replacing. 3 wood is a Reinland given to me by my wife, hybrid is a Ju Ju I had made up in a Canada theme. Putter is one I picked up at the Open in 2018.

Grips are Lamkin Players Cord Standard +...I'm super OCD about my grips (I get the caliper out to make sure they are all the same width) and these feel perfect with 4 wraps underneath!

 

Thanks for reading!

[Kale_m]

Dinosaur trail is a crazy course. All normal on the front then it feels like you Are playing on mars on the back!

[gentles]

A few new additions to the bag as we near the end of summer in the southern hemisphere

2019 Apex 3 Hybrid, shafted with a DG 105 x100 shaft. Really love the X100 in the hybrid. Stock shot is very low spin knuckleballs, great for playing in the wind. I've used the Idea Pro, and then Apex 2016 hybrids for the better part of 15 years, and this is a subtle evolution of that. I tend to miss out of the heel, so I like having a slightly higher toe area so I can aim more out there if my contact starts playing up. With a little cutty swing I can get it to spin and hold a green. I've bounced back and forth between driving irons and hybrids and think this gives the best of both worlds. So much easier to hit off the ground than a 2 iron.

P790 4 iron with AMT x100. Did a straight shaft switch from my RSI UDI 4 iron that was in the bag for the last two seasons. I'm loving the slightly thinner sole on the P790 vs the UDI, and find its a bit more useful of the ground. Blends a little better with the P770s too. Now my collection of the 2,3,4, and 5 UDI heads is collecting dust, but I don't think I can bring myself to get rid of them!

Ping Anser Milled 0. I love the Anser 5 in the same model, but i've always wanted to try a putter without a sightline, and this was the best way to go, knowing the feel would be very similar. Picked up here off the BST a few weeks back. My bucket list putter would be a combination of the two - long neck face balanced, with no alignment markings....one day. I recently switched to the claw putting grip (total revelation) and find a slightly longer putter is much more comfortable. Playing at 35.5" with a Rosemark grip.

Last pic with a couple new headcovers to add into the rotation - a Dormie Workshops Canada cover from my time there, and the No Laying Up Nest Headcover for the FW. Still have my eyes on a new black Driver HC too.

[KiwiNick]

That Apex with steel shaft is sick!

Tried to respond to your message but something went wrong. I play Paraparaumu GC mostly but get over to the Butt every now and then.

[cardoustie]

Thx for the updates

[gentles]

Got some new gear on the way to tinker with - set of Vokey SM7s, a 16* Apex hybrid to replace the 3 wood, and a throwback X-Utility for the 4 iron spot. One day I'll figure out what I want between driver and 5 iron...one day...