Unpopular Equipment Opinions

[BallerNate]

On 5/15/2021 at 10:14 PM, MikeW2 said:

I cannot stand when practice putting greens don’t have holes, only the sticks. I have to putt in my basement all winter without a hole. When I can finally get outside to a real green, I want to hear my ball drop into a hole!!!

Played at a course yesterday that didn’t have holes on the practice green for the first time. It was extremely bizarre and didn’t make sense. It’s like playing Basketball without hoops...don’t know why anyone would want to do it. 

[Mudguard]

1 minute ago, lefthack said:

 

I try to get my ball in the hole in as few strokes as possible. Just because I don't write it down doesn't make it any less golf. 🤣

 

What does your handicap gain you? Do you get a discount if you are a high handicapper so you can buy better gear? 

 

You are correct in a sense when I'm at the club it's basically practice. I'm by myself with a cart and a hand full of balls trying to make shots.

 

It depends on your perspective. Shooting 70 by yourself on a Tuesday doesn't have the same ring to doing it on Sunday in your club champs etc etc. What does handicap gain? Pride? When you can tell someone else what it is? I play in a regular four ball on a Saturday, current handicaps are +2 (professional who keeps a handicap), 4, 12 and 16. By using handicaps we can play a 4BBB match for a beer. And most of the comps here are stablefords. So no handicap, no entry. 

Again, it's not for everyone, and you need to have belief that handicaps are robust. If anything, here, vanity caps are more common. And those don't help the player...

[lefthack]

13 minutes ago, Mudguard said:

 

It depends on your perspective. Shooting 70 by yourself on a Tuesday doesn't have the same ring to doing it on Sunday in your club champs etc etc. What does handicap gain? Pride? When you can tell someone else what it is? I play in a regular four ball on a Saturday, current handicaps are +2 (professional who keeps a handicap), 4, 12 and 16. By using handicaps we can play a 4BBB match for a beer. And most of the comps here are stablefords. So no handicap, no entry. 

Again, it's not for everyone, and you need to have belief that handicaps are robust. If anything, here, vanity caps are more common. And those don't help the player...

 

I guess I fail to see how a handicap "helps" anybody outside of getting something for nothing (I suck, so you have to spot be 5 strokes). Sorry, I don't get it.

 

I will likely play in the club tournament this year, but I still won't have a handicap. I don't expect to be spotted anything and if I win, awesome. Otherwise, good times will be had regardless. I usually beat the guys I play with, so there is that. 

 

<edit> the idea of a handicap as a source of pride is even funnier. Guess what? 99.9% of society doesn't care about your golf scores. 🤣

 

But hey, you do you.

Edited May 29, 2021 by lefthack

[Straphael]

Fitting by swing speed is borderline pointless. Not a fan of oh you swing 105+ get x stiff. I’ve seen guys swinging 115 push everything with xstiff and hit beautiful draws with plain old stiff shafts. 

[Fairway14]

On 4/6/2021 at 6:46 AM, vtpachyderm said:

 

 

Golf carts are the bane of the game - it should be walking only - electric/push carts are ok, but you should walk. This would seriously free up some room on the course, and it would make the rounds go faster, and it would make course design more efficient. Carts are only allowed for those that medically need it or if you're over 70. You can't pretend to be a x-stiff, 320 yd carry player if you can't walk 18 ;-).

 

There are courses where walking is not permitted. Specifically, courses built during the past 30 years which were designed to sell residential homes, including some holes where the distance from a green to the next tee is several hundred yards.

Walking is fine if the courses was designed for it, such as older courses where each tee box is near the previous green.

[MikeW2]

21 hours ago, BallerNate said:

Played at a course yesterday that didn’t have holes on the practice green for the first time. It was extremely bizarre and didn’t make sense. It’s like playing Basketball without hoops...don’t know why anyone would want to do it. 

There are several courses in my area that are doing this now. I am not a fan of this trend at all.

[BallerNate]

1 hour ago, MikeW2 said:

There are several courses in my area that are doing this now. I am not a fan of this trend at all.

Truly bizarre. Really don’t understand the decision-making behind it. The course I went to on Thursday that had it was a very high end Private course too, which made it even more bizarre to me.

[Straphael]

It’s lazy greens keeping. Easier to move the stick than move holes. Surprised you saw it at a highend course. 
 

One equipment one. 
golf balls matter almost more than clubs. Find a ball you like and never change until forced to. I’d rather replace the club/shaft then change the ball that I’m used to around the green. 

[Mudguard]

23 hours ago, lefthack said:

 

I guess I fail to see how a handicap "helps" anybody outside of getting something for nothing (I suck, so you have to spot be 5 strokes). Sorry, I don't get it.

 

I will likely play in the club tournament this year, but I still won't have a handicap. I don't expect to be spotted anything and if I win, awesome. Otherwise, good times will be had regardless. I usually beat the guys I play with, so there is that. 

 

the idea of a handicap as a source of pride is even funnier. Guess what? 99.9% of society doesn't care about your golf scores. 🤣

 

 

 

the idea of a handicap as a source of pride is even funnier. Guess what? 99.9% of society doesn't care about your golf scores. 🤣

 

99% of society doesn't care, but 99% of golfers do. I'm intrigued how players can enter an event without a handicap, here it isn't allowed. Or it's an ambrose/scramble in which case you're assigned the maximum.

 

What do you with juniors? Enter them all in the same events off the longest tees with the best players at a club? Sorry little Jimmy, your 130 didn't cut it. You're sixty shots adrift. Plus golf courses are fiercely expensive things to maintain. Unlike tennis or basketball courts which are usually built and maintained by communities, councils etc, golf courses need members to pay quite large amounts (compared to other sports, and even more from what I gather in the US) to maintain them. If you're suddenly going to treat handicaps as not real golf, then you can have all the low gross players fund the courses. 

 

Plus if you are really good golfer, you need a low handicap to enter the serious amateur events. If you don't carry one you can't play the New Zealand Amateur or attempt qualifying for professional events (unless you're a PGA member). 

[karstens_ghost]

2 hours ago, Mudguard said:

 

the idea of a handicap as a source of pride is even funnier. Guess what? 99.9% of society doesn't care about your golf scores. 🤣

 

99% of society doesn't care, but 99% of golfers do. I'm intrigued how players can enter an event without a handicap, here it isn't allowed. Or it's an ambrose/scramble in which case you're assigned the maximum.

 

What do you with juniors? Enter them all in the same events off the longest tees with the best players at a club? Sorry little Jimmy, your 130 didn't cut it. You're sixty shots adrift. Plus golf courses are fiercely expensive things to maintain. Unlike tennis or basketball courts which are usually built and maintained by communities, councils etc, golf courses need members to pay quite large amounts (compared to other sports, and even more from what I gather in the US) to maintain them. If you're suddenly going to treat handicaps as not real golf, then you can have all the low gross players fund the courses. 

 

Plus if you are really good golfer, you need a low handicap to enter the serious amateur events. If you don't carry one you can't play the New Zealand Amateur or attempt qualifying for professional events (unless you're a PGA member). 

 

Same. I'm playing the mid-am in Jan, and without a cap, no entry. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Whether you use it for games or not is a choice, but it does indicate a general level of play no matter what.

[bladehunter]

On 5/29/2021 at 10:18 AM, Fairway14 said:

 

There are courses where walking is not permitted. Specifically, courses built during the past 30 years which were designed to sell residential homes, including some holes where the distance from a green to the next tee is several hundred yards.

Walking is fine if the courses was designed for it, such as older courses where each tee box is near the previous green.

True.  I only play those courses if it’s a surprise , or tournament which requires carts.  Those course also are known for internal OB and OB up both sides of a fairway due to homes being so close.  All adds up to a terrible course. 

[bladehunter]

On 5/30/2021 at 12:37 AM, Mudguard said:

 

the idea of a handicap as a source of pride is even funnier. Guess what? 99.9% of society doesn't care about your golf scores. 🤣

 

99% of society doesn't care, but 99% of golfers do. I'm intrigued how players can enter an event without a handicap, here it isn't allowed. Or it's an ambrose/scramble in which case you're assigned the maximum.

 

What do you with juniors? Enter them all in the same events off the longest tees with the best players at a club? Sorry little Jimmy, your 130 didn't cut it. You're sixty shots adrift. Plus golf courses are fiercely expensive things to maintain. Unlike tennis or basketball courts which are usually built and maintained by communities, councils etc, golf courses need members to pay quite large amounts (compared to other sports, and even more from what I gather in the US) to maintain them. If you're suddenly going to treat handicaps as not real golf, then you can have all the low gross players fund the courses. 

 

Plus if you are really good golfer, you need a low handicap to enter the serious amateur events. If you don't carry one you can't play the New Zealand Amateur or attempt qualifying for professional events (unless you're a PGA member). 

I see both sides of this.   Day to day play good players in the US never use it.  They keep one only for the entry requirements for the USga and state events ( usually 3 or 5 and less is required to enter ).   But we aren’t playing many or any handicapped events , and definitely not using it in a day to day match.  You may negotiate a shot a side etc .... but we aren’t playing off handicaps.  
 

not disagreeing with you , as I know abroad handicaps are used daily. I’m just stating what I see here.  

[callawayjay]

•superstroke putter grips are trash

 

•Snell golf balls don’t get enough love

 

•you don’t hit a driver as far as you think you do 

 

•regular flex shafts feel better

 

 

[JustinG76]

On 4/4/2021 at 9:50 PM, Kyle M said:

You don’t need a new driver every year. 

Why does my wife have access to your GolfWRX account?

[The Mad Bomber]

21 hours ago, bladehunter said:

I see both sides of this.   Day to day play good players in the US never use it.  They keep one only for the entry requirements for the USga and state events ( usually 3 or 5 and less is required to enter ).   But we aren’t playing many or any handicapped events , and definitely not using it in a day to day match.  You may negotiate a shot a side etc .... but we aren’t playing off handicaps.  
 

not disagreeing with you , as I know abroad handicaps are used daily. I’m just stating what I see here.  

This is how it goes most places I think. You may give a guy one a side if he hasn't been able to play because you know he's got life stuff going on or whatever the reason. But I can't remember the last time I put money down on a match that used handicaps. Generally, the net scores at a club championship are flighted, and if that's the case, I'm good with it as long as everyone is staying in their flights. But a handicapped match? lol - NO. Just No. 

[tomc262]

On 5/28/2021 at 5:48 AM, RCGA said:

Club reviews on YouTube that only focus on launch monitor results in a simulator are extremely boring and are less informative than simply reading the OEM's spec sheet. 

 

Once I see the simulator, I tune out. 

Some of the yardages seem to indicate they are hitting the ball downwind in a gale off a 800 ft cliff! 🙂

[Texas Golfer]

• Cavity backs are just a fad

 

Edited June 1, 2021 by Texas Golfer

[MattM97]

1 hour ago, Texas Golfer said:

• Cavity backs are just a fad

 

 

It's a fad older than me, let me know when it ends. 

[Mcgeeno]

On 5/31/2021 at 9:58 AM, bladehunter said:

I see both sides of this.   Day to day play good players in the US never use it.  They keep one only for the entry requirements for the USga and state events ( usually 3 or 5 and less is required to enter ).   But we aren’t playing many or any handicapped events , and definitely not using it in a day to day match.  You may negotiate a shot a side etc .... but we aren’t playing off handicaps.  
 

not disagreeing with you , as I know abroad handicaps are used daily. I’m just stating what I see here.  

 

Nice post. I have noticed something as I get older (Not so much wiser haha)

 

I've been chasing scratch for years. Tracking my stats, constant work, lessons etc.  Low of 1.2 but typically hover between 2-5 depending on the time of season up here in Canada.

 

The handful of best players I know, legit plus handicap studs who play events all over my province care less about their handicap then anyone else. I have 15 handicap friends all worried about posting a score or losing a low score off their number or worrying how many strokes they will have to give up in an interclub event or which tees to play to have the best chance of getting a good differential etc.

The best guys? They might not even remember to post a score for a month because their cap is meaningless to them. +1 or +3 or a +2.4 means nothing. Its all about the score and the trophy at the end. Only one number matters to them. The number on the card at the end of 18.

Edited June 1, 2021 by Mcgeeno

[D0ch0l1d4y]

On 4/8/2021 at 5:52 AM, karstens_ghost said:

I don't understand why there's no "chariot" yet. 

 

When I was 10 or 11 (30+years ago) my dad and I made some trailers to pull behind our bikes so we could go mow yards without him having to take us everywhere (I have 5 brothers and lived in a small town).

 

We modified those trailers to hold golf clubs. Had to keep the bikes on the path, but it was a fun novelty that saved us about 0 minutes per round.

[bladehunter]

1 hour ago, Mcgeeno said:

 

Nice post. I have noticed something as I get older (Not so much wiser haha)

 

I've been chasing scratch for years. Tracking my stats, constant work, lessons etc.  Low of 1.2 but typically hover between 2-5 depending on the time of season up here in Canada.

 

The handful of best players I know, legit plus handicap studs who play events all over my province care less about their handicap then anyone else. I have 15 handicap friends all worried about posting a score or losing a low score off their number or worrying how many strokes they will have to give up in an interclub event or which tees to play to have the best chance of getting a good differential etc.

The best guys? They might not even remember to post a score for a month because their cap is meaningless to them. +1 or +3 or a +2.4 means nothing. Its all about the score and the trophy at the end. Only one number matters to them. The number on the card at the end of 18.

That’s me.  I try to remember to post every week.  But sometimes it’s the next Saturday before i remember. Then I’ll post both weeks rounds at once. 
 

last weekend I posted two rounds the night before an  event and it dropped me from 0.6 to 0.2 the next morning.  Which rounded is 1 shot.  I didn’t catch it or care.  But our competition chairman did , and asked me “ why didn’t you just wait till after the round Saturday “ He was saying I’d have gotten a shot if I had. I simply said “ I don’t pay any attention to that.   I’m trying to shoot a number.  Not see how much help I can get “.  He was only concerned that he had to re dot the cards because my cap changed overnight.   Lol. 
 

  I get how arrogant that is/sounds.  But sometimes the truth is just that.  We only keep one because we have to.  

Edited June 1, 2021 by bladehunter

[averysdad]

This one drives me nuts but no clue if it happens elsewhere...we have a 2 round/2 day fun tournament at my old club with the Calcutta  and skins and close ups...it’s flighted after round 1 but the tees you play are based on your age....we have several + HC golfers who are older who get to play from the silvers and 20+ Hc guys have to play from the tips....the good older guys win the big Pot $$$ every year and it’s not even close. The tournament is fun but this seems crazy to me. I’ll prob agree with it when i age out and get to move up though. 😉

 

[Mcgeeno]

7 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

  I get how arrogant that is/sounds.  But sometimes the truth is just that.  We only keep one because we have to.  

I love it and aspire to do that. Just being a scratch or plus and that’s the end of it.

 

I’ve laughed before when guys have asked my +2 buddy his index before a round out of town if we are on a golf trip. “I have no idea I haven’t looked in years. Something with a plus in front of it”

[pollock21]

Fitting wedge bounce and grinds based on digger or sweeper is a terrible mistake.

 

Course conditions and individual wedge technique are far more important than "full swing type".

[D0ch0l1d4y]

On 5/15/2021 at 10:49 PM, Straphael said:

Putter fitting is the most important fitting yet very few know how to do it. 
stop spending 600-1000 on a driver and then get mad that a putter is worth 300-500 guess which one you use more? 
constantly changing equipment is a terrible idea that we all love to do.

 

Personally agree^^^. Took 2 full shots off my handicap.

 

On 5/27/2021 at 8:23 AM, lefthack said:

 

I know I'm the outlier here, but the idea of getting "fit" for a putter is hilarious to me. I'm not saying you should just grab one and go (even though that is what you do in mini golf). But paying a pro to tell you what works for you is just silly.

 

Hit a bunch, find one you like and roll it. If you feel better spending $1500 for a boutique putter, or a $6 job like mine is up to you. But it's you making the put, not a pro, not a monitor, you.

 

/soapbox 

 

<edit> what did Phil Mickelson use to win the PGA Championship? It wasn't an arm lock face balanced center shaft mallet. 

 

He was putting left hand low, so there is that. 🤣

 

 

 

You think Phil didn't get checked on a SAM lab somewhere? I got a putter fitting a couple years ago in an effort to put the constant merry-go-round of putters in and out of my bag to bed.  Turns out the best putter for me was in my bag, but needed loft and lie adjusted. I need a 1-1.5* putter loft. There's no putter off the rack (unless someone slammed it face down to deloft it) that would get my ball rolling as well as post-fitting. Rolls end-over-end almost immediately instead of skipping along the first 2-3 feet. 

 

Now I have 2 putters that I can go back and forth when one is mis-behaving (the other I also had laying around). One is not cheap, the other has about a $4 trade in value on PGA value guide. I use them both and they both give me the right roll off the blade.

 

After that fitting, haven't so much as looked in the putter section at any store, and only look at the BST listings for the p0rn.

[Jim53]

15 minutes ago, averysdad said:

This one drives me nuts but no clue if it happens elsewhere...we have a 2 round/2 day fun tournament at my old club with the Calcutta  and skins and close ups...it’s flighted after round 1 but the tees you play are based on your age....we have several + HC golfers who are older who get to play from the silvers and 20+ Hc guys have to play from the tips....the good older guys win the big Pot $$$ every year and it’s not even close. The tournament is fun but this seems crazy to me. I’ll prob agree with it when i age out and get to move up though. 😉

 

As a old guy that is presently a mid cap I also see the other side of this where I am playing the same tees as young guys the same cap that hit it 30 yards past me. So Handicap alone is not a fair judge in most cases, now I could care less about getting strokes most of the time but give me a level playing field distance wise. 

[averysdad]

19 minutes ago, Jim53 said:

As a old guy that is presently a mid cap I also see the other side of this where I am playing the same tees as young guys the same cap that hit it 30 yards past me. So Handicap alone is not a fair judge in most cases, now I could care less about getting strokes most of the time but give me a level playing field distance wise. 

I certainly see the fairness in what you’re saying...maybe at my club it’s just an anomaly in that the guys that usually win get to tee it up at the silvers and they hit it farther than all but our longest players. It’s kind of the reverse as you mentioned....Most of the field is giving up 15-25 yards at the tee and then giving up 25 or 30 in the fairway. They play from the Tips every other round but these 2 in this tournament. But honestly, we’ve won our flight a few times and the food is great on Saturday night so it’s all good. 

[dubbelbogey]

I totally get the argument against handicaps. I don't have any real interest in "net" events myself - certainly not on any regular basis.

 

But for the "every once in a while case" I also get why they exist. I go on an annual golf trip with a large group of guys. The skills vary widely. From single digits to 36+ cappers. It's purely a social event, but there's always something "in play" for each day's rounds.  Having caps in play allows for an appropriate amount of BS-ing and grilling to occur each evening over beers and food. If they didn't have handicaps, you could pretty much be handing out the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place cash awards before the trip ever started. That's no fun for anybody. For some of these guys, this trip is the only golf they'll play the whole year. I play in this event because I want to socialize with some friends and play golf in a cool place. I've got no actual interest in winning the net prize cash.

 

I've got nothing against those who like to play weekly or daily in net matches. I'm sure it's worthwhile for for you. 

Edited June 1, 2021 by dubbelbogey

[Jim53]

7 minutes ago, averysdad said:

I certainly see the fairness in what you’re saying...maybe at my club it’s just an anomaly in that the guys that usually win get to tee it up at the silvers and they hit it farther than all but our longest players. It’s kind of the reverse as you mentioned....Most of the field is giving up 15-25 yards at the tee and then giving up 25 or 30 in the fairway. They play from the Tips every other round but these 2 in this tournament. But honestly, we’ve won our flight a few times and the food is great on Saturday night so it’s all good. 

I see that also at times with a 81 year old friend that plays the forward tees and generally flies it by me from the blues (or whites depending) but I get a kick out of that. Not being able to hit it 250 consistently is a detriment from any tee and my best most days is sub 250 so its on me just not having the fire power.

[bladehunter]

1 hour ago, averysdad said:

This one drives me nuts but no clue if it happens elsewhere...we have a 2 round/2 day fun tournament at my old club with the Calcutta  and skins and close ups...it’s flighted after round 1 but the tees you play are based on your age....we have several + HC golfers who are older who get to play from the silvers and 20+ Hc guys have to play from the tips....the good older guys win the big Pot $$$ every year and it’s not even close. The tournament is fun but this seems crazy to me. I’ll prob agree with it when i age out and get to move up though. 😉

 

I detest this local rule stuff.  Nowhere in any USga literature that I’ve read does it say you get to move up tees due to age.  I think anyone should be able to play any tee in a net event , and just calculate course handicap for the day accordingly.  
 

we have a couple 70 plus year olds that are plus handicaps , that can fly a driver 250 plus still.  And theyll play from the front box and try to drive every par 4.  I realize they’re rare birds. But.   They need to be on the men’s tee , while a lot of the 30 year old 18 handicaps need to be up front.