MD/VA/DC Golfers - Ten Seconds or Less

[JJCOOP7]

Starting GoT from the beginning

 

See you guys in a few months

[jnew907]

Hey everyone, I'm new to WRX and to the area. Just thought I'd stop in and say hi. Playing 18 at Falls Road tomorrow, hopefully I won't melt before the turn.

[SullGolf]

Nice. I havent played at Falls Road since the winter because its always packed, but tomorrow is probably a good time to avoid the crowd.

 

I got an email from my thermostat today (ecobee) that my AC was broken because the house didn't cool down a single degree even though the AC was on full blast for 4 hours. AC is still working (though maybe a bit undersized...), it was just that damn hot out.

[misplacedtexan83]

Nice. I havent played at Falls Road since the winter because its always packed, but tomorrow is probably a good time to avoid the crowd.

 

I got an email from my thermostat today (ecobee) that my AC was broken because the house didn't cool down a single degree even though the AC was on full blast for 4 hours. AC is still working (though maybe a bit undersized...), it was just that damn hot out.

 

Check the air filter...

[misplacedtexan83]

Hey everyone, I'm new to WRX and to the area. Just thought I'd stop in and say hi. Playing 18 at Falls Road tomorrow, hopefully I won't melt before the turn.

 

Howdy.

 

Welcome to the area. Plenty of nice golf courses to play depending on how far you want to travel or what's nearby.

 

Keep stopping in, some always has a game going or something.

[davechen]

Hey everyone, I'm new to WRX and to the area. Just thought I'd stop in and say hi. Playing 18 at Falls Road tomorrow, hopefully I won't melt before the turn.

 

Welcome, jnew907.

 

I was out at Falls Road yesterday afternoon. It was hot, but tolerable. I rode a cart, where normally walk, and I brought a big bottle of water.

 

I played the front 9 and would have played more holes, but the group in front of me was painfully slow. Middle aged Asian guys playing from the tips and hunting for their tee shots every frickin' hole. If you can't keep your tee shot in play, don't play from the back, dammit! So I gave up after 9.

[jkc-rva]

Pulled a muscle in my back/hip/glute med somewhere on the second or third hole on Saturday. I'm one week from leaving for Myrtle Beach and this happens. FML.

[TheCityGame]

Forgot to mention a big highlight of the weekend.

 

Hoop rocking the Nike Flyknit Chukka on Saturday. Bad-Word not allowed looking shoe. . .he had the blue. . .

 

 

Got out to Woodlands yesterday for the first time all year. It's in nice shape. We went off at Noon when prices drop to $59. The previous group had gone off at 10:05. We had a group behind us that was about 3 holes back after 9 holes (no lie. I think they were on 7th green when we were on 11th tee), and we only played the front in 2 hours. They might have finished a round in 5:30 without waiting on a shot all day. I wish DaveChen was with us so he could say something about them. That's why if you don't get the first "rate drop tee time" you can be in for a world of aggravation.

 

Had me and brother in law matched against PQ and StixBMore.

 

Stix had it GOING ON. I don't know if you know the first green there, but the back of the green is about 4 feet lower than the front, and Stix started the day with about a 45 foot downhill curler that dropped in center cup.

 

5 is a short, tight par 4, and Stix had the stones to hit driver. I hit 3 iron and got the approach to about 7 feet, but Stix had a little chippy and got it to 3 feet and we went missy-makey which put us 3 down. But, on 6, I ran in a 30 footer for bird and Stix missed from close. He won 7 with par -- again choosing driver on a short tree lined 2-shotter which gave him 20 yards in -- but I got one back on 9 with a birdie from 10 feet and only lost the front 2 down as Stix shot -2. I was +1.

 

Stix starts right out on the back dropping ANOTHER 40 footer for birdie on the par 3 10th. It was really awesome how good he was playing. Just beating fairways and greens and sweet spots to death. He hit an awesome fade around the corner on 6.

 

But, I won 11 with par, and BIL wins 12 with a par net bird (he was NOT good in general).

 

I birdied 15 from the front fringe for a nice 0-putt. Stix finished with a string of bogies, but still came in at 74 (with a 2-stroke penalty and a 3-putt that he wouldn't 3-putt again if you put him there a thousand times). I made 2 doubles on the back to go with my two birdies, but parred the last for a couldaBeenBetter 79. Tee shots created both dubs.

[jkc-rva]

Just got back from MB and Cabot Cliffs. Will recap the 6 rounds tomorrow or Monday when I get a chance. Played Cabot then flew to MB. Played Arcadia Shores, Beachwood, BF Fazio, Heritage and Tidewater. Got a little tried at Tidewater, I think the sun was getting to me.

 

How were the different MB courses? We are looking to play Caledonia and True Blue if the conditions at Caledonia are good. But also probably play Dunes Golf and Beach club and maybe another course as well.

[therealsneek]

I got out to Hampshire Greens early yesterday morning. Like Eagle had said, the course is in really awesome shape right now. I played the blues and shot an 84. I played the par 5's and par 3's in a combined two over. So, its pretty obvious to me that I need to work on my par 4 scoring I thought it was a really fun track though and would like to play it again now that I have some course knowledge.

 

The round started shaky after no warm up. I proceeded to snap hook my 5 wood off of the first tee and make a double. The round was inconsistent overall and I just could not seem to get on a run of pars. However, I was happy with driver yesterday. I hit some of my best drives of the season and feel confident with it again.

 

Hampshire Greens has a great collection of par 5's in my opinion. The layup area on the 2nd hole is definitely tight, but I don't think that makes it a bad hole. I had 210 in on the par 5 6th and 205 in on the par 5 17th for my second shot, but I was unable to convert the birdie on either. It was just one of those days .

[t4t3r]

Caledonia is always in awesome shape and the one I'd recommend over true blue. Dunes is also a must play.

[therealsneek]

It took 4:30 to play yesterday even with teeing off so early. The guys I was playing with were all the same ability and were grinding over 3 footers for their 7's and 8's because they actually had a shot to win/tie the hole. They were cool though and were having fun so it was still an enjoyable time out there.

[siegel159]

Had to cancel with Seagull for tomorrow.

 

It's going to be 106 heat index tomorrow.

 

Not sorry about cancelling.

 

Played the red course at EPP just to get out yesterday. About half way through I was thinking that cancelling our match was a good call. Not sorry about it either

[FAbb]

Hive Golf Alert!!!

 

We're following up July's Red Rag Challenge with a Fourball event on Thursday August 4th. We'll be playing at the University of Maryland Golf Course, with tee times beginning at 3pm.

 

The teams will be randomly generated, so the competition will be net scoring only. Entry is $5 cash, payable the day of the event. 75% of the pot will be going to first place, and 25% to second place.

 

We're going to set a cap at 20 players. You can start claiming spots now by sending me an email, or PM. I'm not going to comb through the thread for posts asking to play. As always, let me know if you've got questions.

 

Still plenty of space left for next week. I sent an email to everybody I've got "yes" responses from, so if you didn't get an email but want in, let me know. I'm closing sign-ups Wednesday, so I can give UMD our final count.

[jkc-rva]

Caledonia is always in awesome shape and the one I'd recommend over true blue. Dunes is also a must play.

 

I played Dunes last year and was blown away by the service, conditions, pace of play, and the scenery.

[SullGolf]

Had to cancel with Seagull for tomorrow.

 

It's going to be 106 heat index tomorrow.

 

Not sorry about cancelling.

 

Played the red course at EPP just to get out yesterday. About half way through I was thinking that cancelling our match was a good call. Not sorry about it either

 

I was at EPP yesterday too. It was so hot that there were some golf bros on the upper deck hitting balls with no shirts on. Maybe it was skiballz.

[SullGolf]

Nice. I havent played at Falls Road since the winter because its always packed, but tomorrow is probably a good time to avoid the crowd.

 

I got an email from my thermostat today (ecobee) that my AC was broken because the house didn't cool down a single degree even though the AC was on full blast for 4 hours. AC is still working (though maybe a bit undersized...), it was just that damn hot out.

 

Check the air filter...

 

You know, it is pretty clogged and needs to be replaced. I don't think it's bad enough to be the cause of my problems, but maybe it contributed. Nice call.

[JJCOOP7]

What do you all think about Wheatcroft's bladed bunker shot into the water on 18?

 

He had some thoughts... http://www.golfwrx.com/389262/wheatcroft-blames-bunker-for-tournament-losing-shot-at-rbc-canadian-open/

[thechief16]

I completely agree with him. I noticed it several times over the week. And I felt for him. I wouldn't have cared if it was DJ or Sneds, but it cost him anywhere between $200k and $800k and 100-400 FedEx points, he is outside the top 125, so he needs every point he can get.

 

on the other hand, welcome to the way the other 99.9% play, Steve.

[StixBmore]

Great weekend for golf....if you were a desert scorpion. Man was it hot, and I love the heat. Played Saturday at Glenn Dale, and Sunday at The Woodlands with City, PQ, and John the in-law.

 

It was noticeably hotter on Saturday at Glenn Dale. Went off at 10am and finished in about 4:40. Played with a couple of BMore friends and we were paired with a single. Played decent the majority of the day with the exception of pulling many putts left. Missed 2 putts inside of 3 feet and don't think either touched the lip as they were just bad pulls. Brought out the TM UDI 2i for its maiden voyage and cold topped it on #2 for its first swing, then hit it again out of the rough to about 20yds from the pin. Game was in pretty good shape with the exception of the putter....and the 9 on the 18th which left me with a numbing 85. Tough way to leave the course.

 

On Sunday, as City has already recapped, was much better and the putter was pretty good. Made a minor adjustment to ball position and more putts were starting on line. City's in-law is also a horse racing fan, and the dude knows a lot about the ponies which was a fun conversation. It was team bald brothers (PQ and me) again and we ended up getting the front and overall match, but lost the back to City and In-law. PQ struggled off the tee all day, but d&*%n when he pures a shot it is fun to watch. City as usual made some really great shots and some clutch putts to keep the overall match close.. like the bomb he made on from about 35ft on #6 for bird.

 

I really like the Woodlands and feel like I play pretty well there about every time out. Made 4 birdies and 1 bogey through 10, and was in total control of my wedge game hitting everything close and nearly pin high all day. With five holes to play I was -2, coming to the short down hill par 3 14th. Hit a little chippy 9i to about 8 ft with a slightly uphill right to left putt and thought if I make it I've got a chance for 69....of course the putt slides by on the right for a disappointing par. 15 - I three putt from 15ft for bogey....on 16 I catch a break after spraying the 2i right and it gets through the trees with an open look at the hole but my wedge runs to the back and I fail to get up and down and back to even par. 17 - snappy hook off the tee trying to get in position to go for the green in 2, so hitting 3 off the tee and hit a perfect shot leaving me 197 in on a severe downslope, murder a 5i to pin high just right of the green...decide to putt through fringe and leave it short of the putting surface...thankfully my next putt hit the center of the cup and drops in for a bogey as if it didn't hit the hole it was going down the slope and probably off the green. 18 was just disappointing as I hit a decent 2i off the tee that just rolled into the left rough leaving me with a perfect full 58 degree to the pin...blocked it a bit just in the right rough pin high about 15ft from the hole and failed again to get up and down after the chip took a hard kick left and rolled past the cup about 7-8ft. Overall a fun day with the guys and very nice to feel like the game is coming together.

[jhbangas]

What do you all think about Wheatcroft's bladed bunker shot into the water on 18?

 

He had some thoughts... http://www.golfwrx.c...-canadian-open/

 

I agree that it looks poorly maintained but it's not like he was at some unique disadvantage. Everyone seems to have experienced the same thing. Maybe don't hit into the bunker next time, ya dink.

[SullGolf]

What do you all think about Wheatcroft's bladed bunker shot into the water on 18?

 

He had some thoughts... http://www.golfwrx.c...-canadian-open/

 

I don't know enough about his game to say for certain, but his backswing looked SUPER timid. It looks like the type of swing I'd make when I know there's water on the other side of the green. It's one of the shortest backswings I can recall seeing from a bunker shot this year. Again, maybe that's just his style and I'm reading too much into it.

[FAbb]

Playing out of rock hard bunkers sucks, but it sounds like that was the norm this week. The first shot or two out of them can definitely catch you off guard, but then you just adjust. There are (were? they added sand at some point this year) some bunkers like that at Hobbits.

[TheCityGame]

What do you all think about Wheatcroft's bladed bunker shot into the water on 18?

 

He had some thoughts... http://www.golfwrx.c...-canadian-open/

I've had several of those at Hobbits this year. And then one day, they started filling in the bunkers and I hit a sand shot about a foot.

 

Here's the thing. . .I don't really care if the sand is thin, or fluffy or what. . .if I know what it's like, I can hit a decent shot. And these guys have practice rounds.

 

Here's some ideal speculation in which I'm implying I know better than a touring pro : There is a way to hit that shot, but coming in totally flat and exposing a lot of the bounce isn't it. Paradoxically, you need to come into those shots with a square® face, and swinging easy, almost like you're playing off a nice fluffy lie. It goes against your instincts. The traditional blast doesn't work.

 

The whole idea of a sand wedge with bounce is so that it doesn't dig down into the sand. When there is very little sand, the traditional bunker shot is going to bounce right into the ball.

 

I've done it. . .and I play a 60/04.

[Puppetmaster]

What do you all think about Wheatcroft's bladed bunker shot into the water on 18?

 

He had some thoughts... http://www.golfwrx.c...-canadian-open/

 

Looked pretty thin from the video, you can see the soles of his shoes barely making a dent in the sand. Tough/impossible to play out of that, as I'm sure many of us have done that too.

 

However, he said himself that he knew it was hard under his spikes going into the bunker. If you need to get up and down to tie, and you know it's essentially hard pan, aim left, clip it a little cleaner with a shorter swing and lower bounce club. Or putt it out of there. Anything to leave a chance for birdie. Hitting a "standard" bunker shot hoping it wouldn't bounce was the wrong decision (esp for a Tour pro), as much as the situation sucked for him.

[FAbb]

Here's some ideal speculation in which I'm implying I know better than a touring pro : There is a way to hit that shot, but coming in totally flat and exposing a lot of the bounce isn't it. Paradoxically, you need to come into those shots with a square® face, and swinging easy, almost like you're playing off a nice fluffy lie. It goes against your instincts. The traditional blast doesn't work.

 

I do almost the same thing, but still play it like a normal blast. Maybe a little less open face, and definitely not hitting as far behind the ball. The biggest key for me is just dialing the velocity of the swing way down. With "normal" sand, you've got to take a pretty good cut to move the ball. In that hard stuff, its almost no more effort than if the ball was just on grass.

[TheCityGame]

What do you all think about Wheatcroft's bladed bunker shot into the water on 18?

 

He had some thoughts... http://www.golfwrx.c...-canadian-open/

 

Looked pretty thin from the video, you can see the soles of his shoes barely making a dent in the sand. Tough/impossible to play out of that, as I'm sure many of us have done that too.

 

However, he said himself that he knew it was hard under his spikes going into the bunker. If you need to get up and down to tie, and you know it's essentially hard pan, aim left, clip it a little cleaner with a shorter swing and lower bounce club. Or putt it out of there. Anything to leave a chance for birdie. Hitting a "standard" bunker shot hoping it wouldn't bounce was the wrong decision (esp for a Tour pro), as much as the situation sucked for him.

You can use a low bounce club, but if you hit an inch behind the ball, it's still going to bounce into the ball.

 

That's why I mentioned a square face. when you open the face, you're making the bounce greater. You need to use low bounce, and hit closer to the ball. I think.

 

Does anyone here play a nice "chunk & run" when you have a lot of green? I think he needed to play a "soft" chunk and run from that lie, with a small amount of chunk.

[FAbb]

He certainly needed to do something other than what he did. Like Sully mentioned, he took a really weird, short, tentative swing. You're a pro. If you've been playing out of hard bunkers all week, or knew they were out there, shame on you for not having a shot in your arsenal to deal with them. Soft swing blast, where you take less sand. Square face chunk and run. Whatever. Just don't show up on the 72nd hole of a tournament and act like it isn't your fault for not being prepared,

[Puppetmaster]

What do you all think about Wheatcroft's bladed bunker shot into the water on 18?

 

He had some thoughts... http://www.golfwrx.c...-canadian-open/

 

Looked pretty thin from the video, you can see the soles of his shoes barely making a dent in the sand. Tough/impossible to play out of that, as I'm sure many of us have done that too.

 

However, he said himself that he knew it was hard under his spikes going into the bunker. If you need to get up and down to tie, and you know it's essentially hard pan, aim left, clip it a little cleaner with a shorter swing and lower bounce club. Or putt it out of there. Anything to leave a chance for birdie. Hitting a "standard" bunker shot hoping it wouldn't bounce was the wrong decision (esp for a Tour pro), as much as the situation sucked for him.

You can use a low bounce club, but if you hit an inch behind the ball, it's still going to bounce into the ball.

 

That's why I mentioned a square face. when you open the face, you're making the bounce greater. You need to use low bounce, and hit closer to the ball. I think.

 

Does anyone here play a nice "chunk & run" when you have a lot of green? I think he needed to play a "soft" chunk and run from that lie, with a small amount of chunk.

 

I'd agree that square face is the way to go. I'd even envision a "fat chip" type of shot, just enough to get the ball out and rolling. I don't know the perfect shot, but at the end of the day, he picked the wrong shot given the lie.

 

Edit - I don't have a good chunk n run, but have been getting better at it. I'll drop down to my 52* wedge for it though, like how back in the day I'd use a PW for that shot, like when those were 50* and not 45*, haha.

[SullGolf]

I just hit replay about 20 times on that swing. It looks like almost whiffs the ball on the inside.

 

Anyway, have any of you hit a bunker shot where you were completely shocked that there was no sand there? Even for me, that's really rare. Usually I know there's no sand, and I just hit a bad shot because I don't know how to play it. Then I whine about how there's no sand in the bunker.