Clubhouse Grille (*** NO LIV DISCUSSIONS ***) (*** NO POLITICS/RELIGION ***)

[scomac2002]

Thanks for the encouraging words @Sean2! I've been hitting the playing part pretty good of late with today marking five outings in the past 10 days. Probably time to give things a bit of a rest as that has worked for me in the past. I'm going to look for a practice facility close to home here, but I don't really think that there is anything nearby.
Rather than stew on this any further, I'm going to focus on getting going on a couple of other projects that DW wants done. I want to stain the garden shed as it's gotten quite shabby, so I'm going to get started on that. Should keep me busy for a couple of weeks and maybe I'll get my bike out a bit more in the interim as that's another activity that requires working your way into.

[Conrad1953]

I have not played that ball but a buddy of mine loves them. I think the Tru Feel replaced the Tru Soft, which that name was getting confused

with the Tour Soft.

 

 

[tolmij]

Well the gout has finally gone, never had it in the heel before, it made doing anything impossible and cancelled my Friday game of golf.

 

Good to see you back billh, happy you have recovered from your sudden illness. Thank you for the mention reasy and talking about reasy its obvious he is back in full flight after reading the posts about swing theory, I can understand most of it but the actual conversion into action leaves me in limbo. 

 

Its good to see the golf back on the agenda, hoping to be able to play next week as there is still a little soreness in the heel that will stop my 300yd drives from working. It seems as if the break is doing you all really good as the scores you are achieving leave me envious. Scomacs back is healing, as reported by his golf adventures and the Grille is now filling up with members coming back, Gus is happy as he was running out of cash because he was selling too few meals. 

 

Read most of the posts but some still require closer examination, too complex for a quick read.

 

I hope you are all staying safe and keeping away from the infected areas, it seems to me as if the USA is in total meltdown with the high numbers of fresh infections, one Australian state has started to be re infected so the rest of the country has cut them off until its back under control, looks as if this is going to be with us for a long time, this is not how I wanted to finish the last years of my existence.

 

Evening now and looking foreword to a more productive day tomorrow.

[SixtySomePing]

Still here Reasy, just a better reader than a writer at the moment...

[Fellaheen51]

Good to read that your bout with the gout has subsided. Can only empathize with your affliction. A friend of ours suffers from periodic flare-ups. When he has one, it's debilitatingly painful. Just as you described. He's spoken of drinking mass quantities of cranberry juice and water to help the condition. Although he says it's mostly a matter of riding it out for a few days until symptoms dissipate.

Covid cases in a number of states here has exploded. Unfortunately it seems, the policy now in much of the country is just to roll the dice that the virus has weakened and hospitals won’t be overwhelmed. So called "Leaders” and far to many residents have decided they want this to be over, so there's a tacit admittance it's time to move on regardless of the consequences. By now, most everyone is aware what needs to be done at the personal level to protect oneself and others from infection risk. However, we tend to be a country of selfish individuals that has proven ourselves unwilling to act in the best interest of our neighbors if it means the slightest of inconvenience to our lives. Why the wearing of a mask when out in public has become such a point of contention escapes me.

Our state continues to trend in a positive direction. Cases numbers modest in increase, considering the amount of testing now being done. Fatalities very low. Perhaps it was due to the stringent "stay at home" orders implemented back in March/April. Don't know for sure. Only history and science will tell that story. However, we are carefully comfortable with venturing into the public domain. Been out to dinner a couple of times. Very cognizant of the distancing setup they have or have not implemented. If it's not appropriate, we leave. Some shopping as well. We take all the necessary precautions, come to far at this point to let out guard down.

Continue to mentally compute this formula whenever I'm out in public: Total infection risk = (number of people) x (volume of container) x (time).

This is the reality we live in. And likely for a long time to come.

[scomac2002]

Its good to see the golf back on the agenda, hoping to be able to play next week as there is still a little soreness in the heel that will stop my 300yd drives from working. It seems as if the break is doing you all really good as the scores you are achieving leave me envious. Scomacs back is healing, as reported by his golf adventures and the Grille is now filling up with members coming back, Gus is happy as he was running out of cash because he was selling too few meals. Thanks for pointing that out @tolmij. 5 games in a 10 day span was unthinkable last year and not even a dream the year before, so there is much to be thankful for rather than lamenting the sorry state of my game. I'm not even sure that my game is all that sorry. More or less the one aspect at this time which is plaguing me. Statistically speaking when reviewing my handicap statistics currently versus the end of the 2017 season it's exactly 2 strokes a side different. That's not a lot, but as we all know if feels a lot better shooting an 88 than it does shooting a 92 even though there's really little to differentiate.

[Fellaheen51]

@scomac2002. As you well know, golf can be an extraordinarily frustrating game. Especially during those periods when there is seemingly regression rather than progression. There's been the occasion before when I've had to set it aside for awhile. Not play for a week. Pursue other endeavors. The longest was for about 20 years, my disgust of the game was so great. Paying money to become P.O'd no longer made any sense to me. Perhaps a reset will be beneficial. You know I'm an advocate solitary play. Just oneself, implements and balls. No scorecard, no playing partners, no rules to interfere. Just attempting to hit the singular "good" shot. Whatever it may be, and sense what it feels like. If not, dropping a ball and trying again. Allows me to relax, clear the mind, and focus on the execution of that "one" shot. And if it's a casual stroll in the park, all the better. IDK, maybe worth a try. Remembering the good ones, even if it takes me three attempts to do it. Forget the bad ones. Find quite liberating.
_____________________________
Not sure if I should post this in conjunction with above. However. Played pretty well yesterday, albeit was only 9 holes. Saw some distant light at the end of the chip and pitch tunnel. Open stance, weight on the lead side, started moving the trail knee inward (TW tip), and accelerating through the ball pulling with a firm left arm. Hit some improved chips by so doing. At least I got the ball up in the air and running towards the hole. Although distance control was lacking. But hopefully that will come with additional trial and practice. Also, I couple of high lobs were executed with some measure of success. Something to build upon the next time. Tee to green was quite satisfied, putting a bit better on the day than the norm. Shot a 42, although it was the shorter (2528 yards, Par 35) side of a familiar course. But think I saved a couple of strokes by marginally better short game execution.
Playing 18 tomorrow. For the first time this season on one of my favorite rotational courses. Elevation, lots of trees, fair amount of bunkering, playing at 5925 yards. We'll see if any of "progress" will carry over. Then that will likely be it for a week. Forecasted to be hotter than hades the next 10 days, with temps well into the 90's. Fella lacks a tolerance for the hot. Certainly don't need to be out on a golf course.

[scomac2002]

It was good of you to post of your success @Fellaheen51 after your encouragement in the opening paragraph. It gives me hope.
Solo rounds are impossible at the moment. No course will book a solo, so the practice round that you speak of currently isn't doable in the COVID world I live in. However, I have located a practice facility of sorts about a half hour away with a practice green and bunkers and a chipping area. That shows promise. Won't get there this week, but hopefully next after all the holiday hoopla!
Definitely cutting back on the amount of play going forward in the near term. I'm playing Saturday and then Mondays for the next bit. That way I can leave Wednesdays open to go to the practice facility or at least that's the plan. One of the other starter/marshals is away for a month. A replacement was hired a couple of weeks ago and he just quit, so we're going to have to cover for now until another person steps up.
Regarding your comments about mask wearing: I'm seeing a similar trend up here in that the number of people willing to wear one is dropping rapidly. First of the month I would say that it was close to 50% compliance, then that fell to 1/4 and as of today it's looking a lot more like 1 in 10. I find this very disheartening. Dog eat dog appears to be the choice being made. If it hasn't touched you directly, then they think it's over no matter what the authorities say.

[Qqq123xx]

I was going to suggest you take a break for a bit. Since you are never mind. Stain is a total biatch to work with.

[billh17]

I think you are correct in the replacing the Tro Soft. It may be a different compression according to a couple guys here. They were playing

the TruSoft last few years and say this has a different,better feel off the irons. Wont be long until I can check it out.! I go in on the 20th now.

They moved it up 10 days..

Hope this finds all you guys out and playing , Like Fella,we are heading into ten days of high temps and dew points. SUMMER TIME !

Conrad is laughing at us northerners complaining about humidity !

[Sean2]

After the lockdown, I played 34 days straight, then went to TN, got back and have played every day since. It's not just about playing, but the exercise too. I would rather play golf than go for a long walk, lol. Shot a 73 from the senior tees today. The yardage is only 4700 yards, but the slope is 117.

[Conrad1953]

Holy **** Batman! 34 straight days. Not sure I could do it......or would want to........but we play year round down here. Maybe for

you guys up north it's different. I would burn out for sure if I tried to play every day.

 

We had fun, just a bud and I as a twosome, today during our T-Storm shortened round. Thru 7 holes I was 2 over and he was

1 under. I made the mistake of reminding him he was under par, lol, and he promptly bogied 8 and 9. I made pars so he shot

37 (+1) and me 38 (+2) on the front 9. About that time we started to hear rumbles of thunder but we made the turn and kept

playing since we were both playing fairly well.

 

I made a nice par on 10, bogied 11 and then hit a tree with my drive on 12. Then hit another tree on my next shot and ended

up making a double on 12. I settled back down and made a par on 13; so now I'm already 3 over on the back and going in the

wrong direction, now 5 over thru 13 holes...............then boom, the rain came down with thunder and we hightailed it outta there.

 

We're looking at 50-60% rain again over the next several days. Last summer we had a "flash" drought. This year we're making

up for it with lots of rain. On the plus side our lawn is really really green.........................................

[Conrad1953]

I wanted to respond to your earlier post...................about the "reality" a swing video brings; not so much with what the swing looks

like but about what WE look like, LMAO! Man, retirement has fattened me up a bit but I can remain somewhat delusional if I don't

have to look at a pic or video of myself................I hear what you're saying loud and clear and I was cracking up reading your post.

 

I need to either lose weight or lose my vanity so for now, no more swing videos coming from me until I'm happier with the way

I look or I just don't care how I look.

 

BTW, 42 is a really good score for 9 holes on a regulation size course. That's roughly halfway between bogie golf and par golf.

You're not losing that many shots and that makes it easier to see exactly where you are losing shots and what you need to work on.

Just like you I'm finding my short game getting better as I play more. I'm also hitting more greens and when I'm missing

greens I'm not missing by as much and missing less into places I can't recover from; which means I'm making better

decisions picking clubs on approach shots.

 

I'm a big believer in momentum in golf and am hoping to do the things I can do to get myself some good momentum going.

[Conrad1953]

So, you'll be back on the course in 3 weeks. Awesome!

 

Growing up and living most of my life in the arid west, I'm not a fan of the humidity here in the east and south. I tell myself that

it's good for me, keeps the pores wide open, etc., etc. I have noticed that people who have lived here all their life get less

wrinkled as they get older.........must be the moisture.

 

I remember when I brought my ex-wife from south Florida to NoCal. She was like......ew.....it's so dry out here you have to use

skin moisturizers and lotions to keep your skin from drying out. I guess there's 2 sides to every coin, lol.

[billh17]

@ RAD: I have a very close friend that lives in Texas,and another in Arizona. They keep telling me it is a dry heat.

I keep answering that i do not care how dry it is, 105 is still HOT !!! I am hoping he releases me. Everything is healed up

on the outside anyway. My clubs are sitting in the corner,with a towel draped across them. I have cleaned them to the point the finish is getting a glazed look. Visited every golf equipment web numerous times, with no intention of buying anything.Just very bored. My better 2/3rds keeps telling me i am lucky to be bored.

@ Sco: Awfully good scores there my man ! As Rad said, good enough that you can tell where you need work.

I know where I need work, just don't have a clue on the fixing it ! Like Sean, about six years ago,i got tired of my

awful irons,and i spent a full three months with a bag of 5 thru GW and a putter. Sometimes i would play a Par 5

with nothing but an 8 or 9i. Discovered that three 6i shots will get you on most par 5's. Got a decent iron game

and now it is getting rusty due to lack of play.

Hoping all of you guys can get out and play !

 

[Sean2]

As long as our winter was, and then the lockdown, we had a very short season...so have to make hay while the sun shines. :-)

[Sean2]

All I know is humid heat, lol.

[scomac2002]

It never occurred to me that Texas had dry heat. I recall on many occasions tuning into a ballgame at Arlington and the field level temperature would be 105° -- feels like 120° with humidex -- at game time (7:00 pm local)

[tolmij]

That is all we know, in summer it can be 100% humidity, almost like walking round in the rain. The biggest problem is it makes the temperature seem higher than it is, very debilitating.

[Conrad1953]

The "dry" line runs through Texas. It is the line that separates the humid east from the dry west. The line itself isn't static and moves

back and forth on an east west basis. As you drive across Texas going from east to west you start in the piney woods region as you

cross the border from Louisiana into Texas. As you continue west the pines disappear as you enter the prairie lands and then the

famous Texas "hill country". As you continue west the trees get shorter and shorter until you get just scrub brush and cactus and

eventually you enter the mountainous desert.

 

If you are driving on say, I-20, you'll cross the "dry line" somewhere between Weatherford and Midland. Houston is in the piney woods

area. Dallas is in the prairie. Austin and San Antonio are in the hill country. Across the dry line you have the hot desert cities like

Midland and El Paso, Like I said before, the dry line moves so some towns in the middle of the state go back and forth between humid

and dry weather, but those towns will never get as humid as say Houston. The heat and humidity in Houston is friggin awful; much worse

than the Dallas Fort worth area and much worse than what we get in Alabama.

 

The "dry" line does extend north all the way up into Canada; up through Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas. Not surprisingly,

"tornado alley" runs along that same line. Driving a truck as I did, going to the west coast and back, I was constant crossing that line

and my sinuses always reminded me of it too.

[billh17]

@scomac2002 Could be because they grew up here and moved to Texas as adults. The humidity/dew point is normally not as high as here
in the summer. Plus, the Texas guy is located in the hill country, so i guess to him,it probably is dry heat.

[billh17]

Great explanation of the "dry line" Rad. Makes it easy to understand how it can be different in a state.

[scomac2002]

Weekend before last we experienced 100% humidity. The temperature was 34°C which works out to a balmy 93°F, but with the humidity it felt like it was 54°C or 129°F!

FWIW it didn't feel anywhere near that bad because that would have been unbearable. I've experienced over 105°F a couple of times and that was HOT!!

[tolmij]

Absolutely, thats what we have in summer.

What I find amusing is we are now lighting a fire at temperatures in the UK we would have been stripping of at the beach, 33c in England last week and they were advised to stay home, don't walk the dogs. We welcome those temperatures, surprising what you get used to when you acclimatise.

[Sean2]

A decade or so ago I was in Myrtle Beach in early August. The heat index reached 120+º every day. It was very draining, lol.

[Fellaheen51]

Is the Dry Line = (Need to) Moisturize Line? Inquiring for a friend.

Check back latter. Off to golf.

 

[scomac2002]

All this talk about the Dry Line conjures up images of Twister as it has been on constant replay on cable since the pandemic started. Nothing like a disaster movies with a happy ending for a time of crisis...

[Qqq123xx]

Twister is a great movie. 'Into the Storm' is another good movie. It has Bevis and Butthead driving around and at the 10 minute mark of movie they are freaking hilarious. Really good special effects.

[Fellaheen51]

The golfing today was less than stellar. The first four holes (no warm-up) was terrible. No rhythm to the swing. Shots heading left and right. Kinda of a disappointing mess. Carding a 6, 5, 7 (thanks to a flushed PW from ~100, that flew 120 What the ????), and a 6. Steadied the ship a bit mid-round with some better directional iron shots. A on-course alignment check and adjustment, and the feel for making a better lower body turn and release through the ball. Satisfied with how I was driving the ball off the tee, that's been a solid so far this year. Some decent chips & pitches (improvement). But still not getting the ball all that close to the hole. Putting didn't bail me out much at all. Anyhow it was a beautiful summer morning. Scores, only for notation purposes: 47/44. Pretty much the norm these days.

The longish, downhill Par 4 #4. Hole where I blasted the PW into the woods behind the green. No idea where that shot came from.

Takes 3 good smashes on this uphill Par 5 to get close to the green.

One of my nemesis holes. Not that long, a slight fade left. A straight drive will risk hitting into the woods (the tee was off to the left). There's slope right that kicks balls hit there into the doolies. Testy hole, even though it's only 320. Since I don't draw the ball, try and hit a 4 wood to inside the 150. Think I had a 6 on it today. Second shot, pushed a 7 iron into the trees right. Had to punch out and yada.....

Then. Par 3 15th, ~115 yards. To an elevated green. Nutted a 9 iron, felt so pure. Was covering the pin the entire way, but couldn't see the ball land. Oh so close!! The buds were watching on the next tee and they thought it was in. A foot tap-in. Closest I've ever been to a HIO. Shot of the year so far. Golf is fun.

On the next hole, promptly whacked the drive into the trees right. Ending up along the edge of the adjacent fairway. Several more less than smart shots from that locale trying to get back into the correct fairway resulted in a double bogey 7. Way to follow up Fella!!! Golf no fun. Finished with a couple of pars though, which was nice.

It is what it is. Golf My Way. Beautiful day, good company, some chuckles, had some fun. What more could you ask? There's always next time.

[Conrad1953]

Wonderful pics and write up Fella! That course looks tough......as in narrow fairways. I would probably be in the trees

more than I would like, lol. What a beautiful sunny day. No matter what happens there's no way I could get mad about

a botched shot, etc., when I'm in such nice surroundings on such a nice day. Congrats on hitting that shot to a tap in

birdie. Keep hitting shots like that and a HIO is gonna happen.

 

EDIT is that a matte green or a tour yellow ball? I played a matte green ball the other day (Maxfli Softfli) and I'm

really liking that color as you can spot it easily in the air and it glows when it's on the ground; especially when the

sun is shining on it.