Colorado WRX 2017

[brianhorne8]

Thanks for the heads up about Heritage at Westmoor/Walnut Creek rates. Never played there, but it looks super fun. Just called to confirm the $35 walking rate, and got myself added onto a random 2-some for Sunday.

 

Also, does anyone else do this? I go to Google Maps to check distances on stuff before playing a course for the first time. So by looking at this, it appears the fairway on Number 1 (from Tee 3) runs out at about 260 yards. Good info to have before grabbing the driver straight off the bat!

 

 

This just makes me wish summer were here. Greens that are...green.

[drn92]

Thanks for the heads up about Heritage at Westmoor/Walnut Creek rates. Never played there, but it looks super fun. Just called to confirm the $35 walking rate, and got myself added onto a random 2-some for Sunday.

 

Also, does anyone else do this? I go to Google Maps to check distances on stuff before playing a course for the first time. So by looking at this, it appears the fairway on Number 1 (from Tee 3) runs out at about 260 yards. Good info to have before grabbing the driver straight off the bat!

 

 

Just throw a long iron down the middle of that fairway. Pretty interesting second shot off a downhill lie, but all in all a nice starting hole.

 

drn92

[Andrew M]

Well, was able to play today, and the conclusion that we can derive from this round:

 

Everything sucked. :| My driving, which is normally a strength, was seriously just pathetic.

 

Here's to next round hopefully being better.

 

[brianhorne8]

Well, was able to play today, and the conclusion that we can derive from this round:

 

Everything sucked. :| My driving, which is normally a strength, was seriously just pathetic.

 

Here's to next round hopefully being better.

 

 

Bummer. Sorry to hear you had a rough one.

[masamitsu]

Random question -- any of you fellow CoWrx'ers here ever find problems with tee box selection? One of the things I'm working on in my game is distance issues with irons; I don't hit them particularly far. A solid 4i goes maybe 185 for me.

 

Problem is, I am plenty long off the tee and driver wise to play most courses' blue sets of tees. I could go back, if I absolutely had to, but I don't. Blues are healthy for me. Problem is, at many courses it seems blue tee boxes will set you up for Par 3 holes of 190, 200, or sometimes even 210 yards! Is my particular course just ridiculous, or is something you've ever run into? Very frustrating for me to basically have to lay up on a Par 3 or hit a significant long iron into a hole, and meanwhile I'm going Driver PW/9i on other holes.

 

Apologies for the randomness, but any advice welcome as well :)

 

Andrew - I'm not long either and normally play the 1-ups. My courses have some long par3 depending on the pin and location of the tee box. For instance, 16 at Blackstone is 223 middle / 240ish back. I just hit 3h and try to make par on that hole. I've hit driver before but the wind was howling. #8 at Black Bear is 215ish middle but it's all carry. Depending on the wind I either hit 3h/4h - I've only hit iron once on that hole. Not sure if that helps...

[jacobEDGE]

^^^^

 

My short game could have definitely been better today.

 

 

 

Also, I'm very curious as to how they calculate this stuff. Because I only hit 50% fairways today. So I don't know how my strokes gained off the tee is only 0.52 compared to scratch.

[Andrew M]

http://support.gamegolf.com/customer/en/portal/articles/2198476-strokes-gained-overview-everything-you-need-to-know

 

A little more (albeit not much) information on how GG calculates strokes gained/lost. Interesting stuff. However, I would also say "only" hitting 50% of fairways really isn't all that bad, especially depending on how far you hit the ball! Which, of course, we all know since we are on GolfWRX, you were teeing off with 4i at a solid 320 carry.

[jacobEDGE]

http://support.gameg...ou-need-to-know

 

A little more (albeit not much) information on how GG calculates strokes gained/lost. Interesting stuff. However, I would also say "only" hitting 50% of fairways really isn't all that bad, especially depending on how far you hit the ball! Which, of course, we all know since we are on GolfWRX, you were teeing off with 4i at a solid 320 carry.

 

I'm not very long off the tee. Maybe here in Colorado, in this elevation, I might be average. But 50% doesn't seem that great for FIR. I'd love to be more around the 70% range.

 

 

Just for fun, here's my scoring from today's round. An 85, that could easily have been a few strokes less.

 

 

Random question -- any of you fellow CoWrx'ers here ever find problems with tee box selection?

 

Yeah, I've been playing a lot of new courses this winter. I have a pretty simple approach to selecting tees (most of the time it's blue). I'll go to the courses' website, and look up the scorecard. The first thing I look for, is total yardage. Anything from 6300-6600 is where I consider the "fun range". If the number is on the high side of that, I go directly to the par 3's, and look at those distances. I really don't like playing par 3's that are 180+ yards. It's fine if 1 or 2 of them are in the high 100's/nearing 200 yards...but I won't enjoy it if all 4 holes are that long. My 4 iron is my 200 yard club, which I hit very inconsistently. My 5-iron is 185-ish, which I hit a lot better. However, if a hole is longer than 200 yards, I'm either stuck with playing my 4 iron and missing short, or taking my 3 hybrid, and risk catching it super clean and having it go 250 yards. I hit my 3 hybrid off number 14's tee at Riverdale Dunes today. The short par 4 with the trees on the left-front of the green. I ended up hitting it 265 yards. My 3 hybrid goes anywhere from 210-270 depending on the swing. It's so inconsistent.

[pseudoswede]

Thanks for the heads up about Heritage at Westmoor/Walnut Creek rates. Never played there, but it looks super fun. Just called to confirm the $35 walking rate, and got myself added onto a random 2-some for Sunday.

 

Also, does anyone else do this? I go to Google Maps to check distances on stuff before playing a course for the first time. So by looking at this, it appears the fairway on Number 1 (from Tee 3) runs out at about 260 yards. Good info to have before grabbing the driver straight off the bat!

 

 

I can't justify spending $200-300 on a laser rangefinder. Instead, I use a $2 app called SkyDroid. It utilizes Google Maps and you can place GPS markers all over the course. I typically place a few markers down the fairway (along with any bunkers, water, and/or trees). You can see the Google Maps representation on the app; and you can press and hold on a spot on the map, and it will tell you how far you are from that spot. It's great for target golf.

 

http://skydroid.net/

 

As a caveat, this post describes why crowd-sourced apps like SkyDroid are sometimes a bad idea.

[pseudoswede]

Decided not to golf today even though I have to travel to Monument twice today. Too darn windy.

[brianhorne8]

Thanks for the heads up about Heritage at Westmoor/Walnut Creek rates. Never played there, but it looks super fun. Just called to confirm the $35 walking rate, and got myself added onto a random 2-some for Sunday.

 

Also, does anyone else do this? I go to Google Maps to check distances on stuff before playing a course for the first time. So by looking at this, it appears the fairway on Number 1 (from Tee 3) runs out at about 260 yards. Good info to have before grabbing the driver straight off the bat!

 

 

I can't justify spending $200-300 on a laser rangefinder. Instead, I use a $2 app called SkyDroid. It utilizes Google Maps and you can place GPS markers all over the course. I typically place a few markers down the fairway (along with any bunkers, water, and/or trees). You can see the Google Maps representation on the app; and you can press and hold on a spot on the map, and it will tell you how far you are from that spot. It's great for target golf.

 

http://skydroid.net/

 

As a caveat, this post describes why crowd-sourced apps like SkyDroid are sometimes a bad idea.

 

I was in the same camp, then I got a rangefinder because of two words: Battery life. Those apps crush your phone's battery, and if they don't on yours, I need your phone!

 

Decided not to golf today even though I have to travel to Monument twice today. Too darn windy.

 

Weather looks amazing this week. I'm going to try to get out Thursday. If anyone else can sneak out of work and wants to join, let me know.

[jacobEDGE]

I almost wish I would have stayed home today. Today was one of the most frustrating, and most discouraging rounds of golf I've ever played. Went out to Heritage at Westmoor/Walnut Creek, first time playing it. 20-25mph winds all day. Started off the back 9, and went double, triple, double on 11, 12, 13. I can't remember the last time I played that bad. I have a real bad habit of showing up to courses 5 minutes before my tee time, so I never have a chance to hit range balls or practice putting. The greens out there confused the hell out of me. Any chip/pitch would hit the green and run off the other side, while all putts were extremely slow. I'm guessing it was playing at like an 8 on a stimp. So basically, the ball wasn't flying anywhere and then by the time I got around the green, my mental game was completely lost.

 

On number 3, I hit one of the best feeling drives of my life. I mean, center of the face, great trajectory (for normal conditions), and straight as an arrow. Walk up to it...193 yards. That's all it went. On a flat, calm day, that was easily going 275+. Then I turn around and go to number 4 (par 3 facing the other direction), and I end up hitting my 5-iron 246 yards.

 

 

All in all, I liked the course, but my opinions/feelings are already somewhat damaged from the conditions today. I legit considered walking off after about 12-13 holes. I just couldn't do it mentally anymore. When the wind is so strong that it knocks over my bag when standing on the side of the green, or moves the ball after coming to rest on the green, and won't stay on tees....it's just no longer enjoyable at that point.

 

The funny thing is, even with how completely horrible I hit the ball, and played overall...I still broke 90. Par'd my last hole for an 89, But it honestly felt like I shot in the 100's.

[Andrew M]

Golf is weird. :D

[pseudoswede]

I was in the same camp, then I got a rangefinder because of two words: Battery life. Those apps crush your phone's battery, and if they don't on yours, I need your phone!

 

SkyDroid is actually pretty gentle with battery life. I have a Samsung Galaxy S7, and I have no issues; I even also play Pokemon Go while walking the golf course between shots. With that said, I do make sure I'm near 100% charged before I start, and I also bring a portable battery pack to use while in the 19th hole (as I'm typically at 30% after 5 hours).

 

What I've also done was keep the phone hooked to a battery pack in the cart, then I turn on the hotspot, then I use my 7" tablet in my golf bag as my SkyDroid yardage book.

[Joelness]

Blue Course for $10?!?!? I need a military friend lol

 

I'd put the Blue Course up against any in Colorado, it is fantastic!

 

I will 2nd this. If you can get on out there and don't mind the drive, play it as much as you can.

Ok, back to my iron/shaft dilmena...

 

What if I stick with my MP-33's and reshaft them? I took a look at my trackman data for my current club with S300's and noticed that my spin is quite a bit better than anything else, but my smash factor was low.

 

 

What kind of performance do you think I would get if I switched out my current S300's for the S400 tours or Project X LZ 6.0's? Here's the shaft data I was getting with the MP-5's and LZ's.

 

 

Or do you think the smash factor is lower because the sweet spot is smaller on the 33's, and keeping my head would be a bad choice? I feel like I'm a decent ball striker overall though...

Thaar, it actually doesn't have anything to do with the size of the sweet spot in your 33's. A well struck blade has a smash factor of about 1.33. My MP-4's were right there at 1.33 and my Titleist 690's I rock now are exactly the same.

 

Simply put, if you want a better smash factor for more distance you need to drop the blades and find some form of cavity-back.

 

Random question -- any of you fellow CoWrx'ers here ever find problems with tee box selection? One of the things I'm working on in my game is distance issues with irons; I don't hit them particularly far. A solid 4i goes maybe 185 for me.

 

Problem is, I am plenty long off the tee and driver wise to play most courses' blue sets of tees. I could go back, if I absolutely had to, but I don't. Blues are healthy for me. Problem is, at many courses it seems blue tee boxes will set you up for Par 3 holes of 190, 200, or sometimes even 210 yards! Is my particular course just ridiculous, or is something you've ever run into? Very frustrating for me to basically have to lay up on a Par 3 or hit a significant long iron into a hole, and meanwhile I'm going Driver PW/9i on other holes.

 

Apologies for the randomness, but any advice welcome as well :)

 

Andrew, the back tees at most of the courses I play make for long par 3's all day. The blacks at CO National makes the shortest par 3 about 190. Even at Fox Hill in longmont I think the shortest one is 180ish. I loved the idea mentioned earlier about playing combos. Nobody says you have to play a set box the whole time. Sure it will affect your handicap but if you're reporting playing from the blacks but scoring a couple shots better then your buddies will never complain that your hcp is too low.

 

I would be curious to see why your irons fly so short though compared to everything else. Clearly the swing speed is there so it has to be some other launch condition. For most people it's an over-spinning problem causing balooning but most people also slice the ball and it's a totally random guess having never met you. Either way, it appears that issue could actually be fixed with an equipment change.

[Joelness]

As far as distance measuring devices go..... A laser rangefinder was literally the best $200 I've spent in my bag. It will shave more strokes then any new club you will buy. The only down side is you can't measure what you can't see; everything else is fair game.

 

The best part is, if you can't stomach $200, just go on craigslist and find one! You can find a great used one under $100 anyway. If you don't find a cheap golf-specific one, buy a hunting one.

[jacobEDGE]

I just use a plethora of free iPhone apps. I don't need accuracy down to a single yard with a laser. Give me a 5 yard general idea and I'm good. My game definitely isn't advanced enough to need such accuracy.

 

 

I use GolfShot the most, and I use my Game Golf device every round too.

[pseudoswede]

I just use a plethora of free iPhone apps. I don't need accuracy down to a single yard with a laser. Give me a 5 yard general idea and I'm good. My game definitely isn't advanced enough to need such accuracy.

 

+1

 

Range finders are okay for shooting pins and trees, but I don't want to hit the tree. I want to hit the area 20 yards to the right of the tree, but not so far that I roll it into the lake. That's why I like SkyDroid: I can measure any distance with a long-press.

[masamitsu]

As far as distance measuring devices go..... A laser rangefinder was literally the best $200 I've spent in my bag. It will shave more strokes then any new club you will buy. The only down side is you can't measure what you can't see; everything else is fair game.

 

The best part is, if you can't stomach $200, just go on craigslist and find one! You can find a great used one under $100 anyway. If you don't find a cheap golf-specific one, buy a hunting one.

 

Agree - love my rangefinder. I like being able to shoot a certain distance to know not only where the flag is but what I need to carry the bunker fronting it. Makes club selection easier to me.

[TheKrushh]

Played the tips with some guys here and they beat me down. Had a great time, but hybrids and long irons in are a recipe for frustration. I played blues the other day and while not the longest hitter, don't remember taking anything much longer than a 7 most of the morning. I prefer that.

 

Stupid forecast...

[Andrew M]

Maybe I finally figured out how to putt a little bit?! Sheesh. (You can't take these GG stats TOO seriously, because some were successful sand saves/scrambling, and that of course counts as a 1-putt for the hole).

 

Shot a solid 40 today. Was a 2 inch tap in from being 39 though I didn't know it at the time til I added up my score. Darn, but hopefully next time. This is the second time I have shot 40 this month, so excited to see what the season brings!

 

Thanks for the info, Joelness. :) I'm really not a super long hitter frankly, but I don't play ridiculously long courses. When my driver works (which unfortunately is not currently), I'm a healthy 265 total hitter or so. Again nothing massive but good enough for what I need to do. I hit a 3w about the same distance, so part of me just says loft down the 3w and use it all the time.

 

Driver is normally my best club by far. Today, hit 14% of fairways (some WITH 3w!); granted, not all those are real severe misses -- maybe a few feet in the rough -- but still. The fact that I can shoot 40 and be driving it off the face of the earth. *Grumble*

 

Anyway, again: Golf is weird.

 

I hit a 3 wood 259 off the tee on the first hole. Why don't I just switch to a 3w permanently, I don't know. There's some ridiculous sense in me that if I have the swing dynamics and speed to make a 3w go 260, I ought to be able to have a driver be going 280.

 

Dumb game.

 

[brianhorne8]

Played the tips with some guys here and they beat me down. Had a great time, but hybrids and long irons in are a recipe for frustration. I played blues the other day and while not the longest hitter, don't remember taking anything much longer than a 7 most of the morning. I prefer that.

 

Stupid forecast...

 

LOL. Let's get out again soon.

[brianhorne8]

Anyone got the time to play during the day Thursday/Friday?

[irvtrain]

I almost wish I would have stayed home today. Today was one of the most frustrating, and most discouraging rounds of golf I've ever played. Went out to Heritage at Westmoor/Walnut Creek, first time playing it. 20-25mph winds all day. Started off the back 9, and went double, triple, double on 11, 12, 13. I can't remember the last time I played that bad. I have a real bad habit of showing up to courses 5 minutes before my tee time, so I never have a chance to hit range balls or practice putting. The greens out there confused the hell out of me. Any chip/pitch would hit the green and run off the other side, while all putts were extremely slow. I'm guessing it was playing at like an 8 on a stimp. So basically, the ball wasn't flying anywhere and then by the time I got around the green, my mental game was completely lost.

 

On number 3, I hit one of the best feeling drives of my life. I mean, center of the face, great trajectory (for normal conditions), and straight as an arrow. Walk up to it...193 yards. That's all it went. On a flat, calm day, that was easily going 275+. Then I turn around and go to number 4 (par 3 facing the other direction), and I end up hitting my 5-iron 246 yards.

 

 

All in all, I liked the course, but my opinions/feelings are already somewhat damaged from the conditions today. I legit considered walking off after about 12-13 holes. I just couldn't do it mentally anymore. When the wind is so strong that it knocks over my bag when standing on the side of the green, or moves the ball after coming to rest on the green, and won't stay on tees....it's just no longer enjoyable at that point.

 

The funny thing is, even with how completely horrible I hit the ball, and played overall...I still broke 90. Par'd my last hole for an 89, But it honestly felt like I shot in the 100's.

 

Don't beat yourself up. That course is one of the toughest around without wind. Wind takes it to another level lol. You may need a new driver though. Sounds like it spins way too much for that short of a drive into the wind.

[CSURam_06]

Any members at Commonground in this thread? Joined up for the season.

 

I have played the CommonGround Men's Club for the last two seasons, and will probably sign up again this year. I really like the course, and the guys I've played with have all been pretty chill. I did have one guy who was the absolute slowest in our group, but when he wasn't playing was bitching about the rest of us and how we were holding things up. I think that they changed the pace of play rules this year a bit. In the last couple years, it would be backed up until 16-17, then all of a sudden break loose, and you ended up sprinting up the 18th so that you made your time allotment to the group in front of you, which was always a bit frustrating as 18 is one of the easiest holes, and having to race up it took focus off of the hole. They take pace of play very seriously, which I like.

[Joelness]

Maybe I finally figured out how to putt a little bit?! Sheesh. (You can't take these GG stats TOO seriously, because some were successful sand saves/scrambling, and that of course counts as a 1-putt for the hole).

 

Shot a solid 40 today. Was a 2 inch tap in from being 39 though I didn't know it at the time til I added up my score. Darn, but hopefully next time. This is the second time I have shot 40 this month, so excited to see what the season brings!

 

Thanks for the info, Joelness. :) I'm really not a super long hitter frankly, but I don't play ridiculously long courses. When my driver works (which unfortunately is not currently), I'm a healthy 265 total hitter or so. Again nothing massive but good enough for what I need to do. I hit a 3w about the same distance, so part of me just says loft down the 3w and use it all the time.

 

Driver is normally my best club by far. Today, hit 14% of fairways (some WITH 3w!); granted, not all those are real severe misses -- maybe a few feet in the rough -- but still. The fact that I can shoot 40 and be driving it off the face of the earth. *Grumble*

 

Anyway, again: Golf is weird.

 

I hit a 3 wood 259 off the tee on the first hole. Why don't I just switch to a 3w permanently, I don't know. There's some ridiculous sense in me that if I have the swing dynamics and speed to make a 3w go 260, I ought to be able to have a driver be going 280.

 

Dumb game.

 

 

Gotcha Andrew. There was about a 4 year period there where I didn't swing a driver either. If you can hit a 3w in the fairway and even close to the same distance then who needs the driver? Save the bag spot for an extra wedge or something. Congrats on the 40's, sounds like you'll break 80 this year pretty regularly if you keep it up.

Anyone got the time to play during the day Thursday/Friday?

 

I would love to Brian but..... I'm driving with a couple buddies to Vegas Thursday night. My good friend Kenny and I were late signing up for the USGA Four-Ball qualifier in CO last fall so we signed up for the qualifier in Utah instead. Since it's in Utah they're playing it in the spring this coming Monday in St. George. When we found out St. George is 1.5 hours from Vegas and a Monday qualifier we figured why the hell not?!?

 

We definitely got lucky that St. Patrick's day is Friday. I better pack some green.....

[Joelness]

No... not that kind of green. I heard they're a******* in Utah, LOL.

[masamitsu]

I would love to Brian but..... I'm driving with a couple buddies to Vegas Thursday night. My good friend Kenny and I were late signing up for the USGA Four-Ball qualifier in CO last fall so we signed up for the qualifier in Utah instead. Since it's in Utah they're playing it in the spring this coming Monday in St. George. When we found out St. George is 1.5 hours from Vegas and a Monday qualifier we figured why the hell not?!?

 

We definitely got lucky that St. Patrick's day is Friday. I better pack some green.....

 

Good luck in the 4ball.

[av1084]

Anyone got the time to play during the day Thursday/Friday?

 

As it stands, may be able to get out Friday morning? It could always change, but will know a little more in the next day or two.

[I_HATE_SNOW]

Maybe I finally figured out how to putt a little bit?! Sheesh. (You can't take these GG stats TOO seriously, because some were successful sand saves/scrambling, and that of course counts as a 1-putt for the hole).

 

Shot a solid 40 today. Was a 2 inch tap in from being 39 though I didn't know it at the time til I added up my score. Darn, but hopefully next time. This is the second time I have shot 40 this month, so excited to see what the season brings!

 

Thanks for the info, Joelness. :) I'm really not a super long hitter frankly, but I don't play ridiculously long courses. When my driver works (which unfortunately is not currently), I'm a healthy 265 total hitter or so. Again nothing massive but good enough for what I need to do. I hit a 3w about the same distance, so part of me just says loft down the 3w and use it all the time.

 

Driver is normally my best club by far. Today, hit 14% of fairways (some WITH 3w!); granted, not all those are real severe misses -- maybe a few feet in the rough -- but still. The fact that I can shoot 40 and be driving it off the face of the earth. *Grumble*

 

Anyway, again: Golf is weird.

 

I hit a 3 wood 259 off the tee on the first hole. Why don't I just switch to a 3w permanently, I don't know. There's some ridiculous sense in me that if I have the swing dynamics and speed to make a 3w go 260, I ought to be able to have a driver be going 280.

 

Dumb game.

 

 

Gotcha Andrew. There was about a 4 year period there where I didn't swing a driver either. If you can hit a 3w in the fairway and even close to the same distance then who needs the driver? Save the bag spot for an extra wedge or something. Congrats on the 40's, sounds like you'll break 80 this year pretty regularly if you keep it up.

Anyone got the time to play during the day Thursday/Friday?

 

I would love to Brian but..... I'm driving with a couple buddies to Vegas Thursday night. My good friend Kenny and I were late signing up for the USGA Four-Ball qualifier in CO last fall so we signed up for the qualifier in Utah instead. Since it's in Utah they're playing it in the spring this coming Monday in St. George. When we found out St. George is 1.5 hours from Vegas and a Monday qualifier we figured why the hell not?!?

 

We definitely got lucky that St. Patrick's day is Friday. I better pack some green.....

 

Sand Hollow? Good luck, great course.