The Links Lounge (*** NO POLITICS/RELIGION/LIV ***)

[Triple Lindy]

5 minutes ago, imkirby34 said:

Doesn't look as promising for the Aerojet LS driver. 

So what’s happening with the driver? I hit the AJ and AJ Max recently and loved them both. Didn’t even try the LS because I want high launch.

[touch]

2 hours ago, Petethreeput said:

 I had one of my best driving days in a long time which really helps the score.

 

 

Hitting fairways is so important. Glad you had a day P3P.

I wouldn't be able to shoot the scores that I do if I wasn't a solid driver of the golf ball. 

[aloha b.]

17 hours ago, imkirby34 said:

For tomorrow's round I'm going to use the Takomo 201 irons and a Cobra Aerojet LS driver for the first time with no range time with either, PLUS I'm swapping out my 3 Mack Daddy wedges for my 3 SM8 wedges (at least I've played quite a few rounds with the SM8's) AND trying out the new Snell Prime 3.0 golf balls.  What could possibly go wrong?

 

I could probably add another curve in that we won't have the usual Stan's Donut Shop glazed donuts for fuel because I just saw that they're closed tomorrow (and Monday) for Memorial Day.  The only good news is that now I don't have to wake up early to stand in line.  😜

Is that the Stan’s in Santa Clara? Their glazed donuts are sooo delicious!

[aenemated]

4 hours ago, mshills said:

I am calling for a slump buster.

 

That's what we used to call picking up an ugly chick at a bar after a bit of a dry spell 😂

[aenemated]

4 hours ago, mshills said:

Nicely done….despite the late struggles. 👍🏼 I haven’t played there in more than 10y and don’t recall many specifics other than a very difficult golf course where minor mistakes tended to compound and lead to more mistakes.

 

The thing with the Wolf is there's nowhere remotely flat on the whole layout. Rolling fairways, elevation changes (some rather extreme), far more sand in the form of waste bunkers that are actually more like tiny gravel than sand ... and then brutally challenging and firm greens. Fairways tend to narrow in landing areas. And you're very punished if you're over the greens. Add in the wind and yeah, it's freakin tough. Not as tough as TPC Vegas (till I play Shadow Creek ... that's the toughest course in Vegas IMHO) ... but close. 

 

Very different from Sun Mountain and Snow Mountain - neither are exactly easy but they don't beat you up like the Wolf. 

 

Probably heading back out there in a bit to do a practice sesh. Wanna work on some distance control with my wedges (I pulled my GW I almost never use to put the 4i back in - stole an idea from Nelly to cover a gap between 4H and 5i) and spend a good bit around the pitching green. 👍🏻

[touch]

It's BBQ time later for the golfers participating in the tournament.

Chef first smokes the ribs for almost 2 hours and then finishes them in the oven. 

 

 

 

Edited June 5 by touch

[imkirby34]

Our cart # and my 57th bday was a last week.  Wasn't a good omen though.  

[Double Mocha Man]

30 minutes ago, imkirby34 said:

Our cart # and my 57th bday was a last week.  Wasn't a good omen though.  

 

Never shoot your cart's number for the front 9.  😁

[touch]

6 hours ago, Triple Lindy said:

We had some rough weather last night about 30 miles north of us - large tornado that did quite a bit of damage. We didn’t get hit with anything other than some high winds. I got up early and cleaned up all the crap that had blown into the pool in prep for a hot day - forecast of 99°. Playing tomorrow, so we’ll cook out today. Still gotta mow the lawn, but it should be a good day to hang outside, hit some balls and cool off in the pool!
 

 

Again I say what a great set up for cooking outside sir. Another compliment for the wood behind and over the top of the cooking station. And that's poolside! You've got a fantastic backyard @Triple Lindy. 

 

[chisag]

... Autoflex Dream 7 is here to stay. Just continues to perform better every round and not only am I hitting drives farther, I am hitting them with better dispersion. 

... #17 is a short dogleg left par 4 with a lake guarding the front at an angle so the farther left you go, the longer the carry. Right side is 225 and left side is about 250 and my miss when trying to hit it farther is left so tough hole for me to drive. Last two rounds on this 265yd par 4 I hit my drives over the green, something I have never come close to doing before. First time I landed just short of the green, then a big hop and it just trickled over the back. Had a nice 5-10mph wind at my back both days and was pretty excited to see my 2nd day drive land pin high on the right fringe, but then bounce and jump over the little hill behind the green with some steam. Like an excited little kid my partner said I think that is a 265yd carry!?! And I had to remind him it is a dogleg so as the crow flies it is shorter. I'll have to laser it next round to see how far it is to the middle. 

... He took a picture to show our snowbird friends in Chicago/Canada and if you look close just over the bunker you can see my hat walking to my drive. Silly long and equally accurate is a tough combo to beat. Best. Driver. Shaft. Ever. 

[mshills]

4 hours ago, aenemated said:

 

The thing with the Wolf is there's nowhere remotely flat on the whole layout. Rolling fairways, elevation changes (some rather extreme), far more sand in the form of waste bunkers that are actually more like tiny gravel than sand ... and then brutally challenging and firm greens. Fairways tend to narrow in landing areas. And you're very punished if you're over the greens. Add in the wind and yeah, it's freakin tough. Not as tough as TPC Vegas (till I play Shadow Creek ... that's the toughest course in Vegas IMHO) ... but close. 

 

Very different from Sun Mountain and Snow Mountain - neither are exactly easy but they don't beat you up like the Wolf. 

 

Probably heading back out there in a bit to do a practice sesh. Wanna work on some distance control with my wedges (I pulled my GW I almost never use to put the 4i back in - stole an idea from Nelly to cover a gap between 4H and 5i) and spend a good bit around the pitching green. 👍🏻

What I do recall about Wolf are hardass greens, waste areas that tore UP my wedges, hard fairways where I hit the ball miles, greens where I made nothing, and a huge sale in the shop where I snagged the Paiute Club Glove I still have 🙂. I don’t remember what I shot but that was quite a number of years back. 

[mshills]

4 hours ago, aenemated said:

 

That's what we used to call picking up an ugly chick at a bar after a bit of a dry spell 😂

Same. 🤣 Now that was a REALLY LONG TIME ago!!
 

Played with The Missus today…we had a great time like we always do. Played a little better, not great, but there are signs of life. 

[touch]

My long work day is over. I am home now and have decided to watch the OT period in the Rangers/Panthers game. 

 

 

 

 

[imkirby34]

8 hours ago, Triple Lindy said:

So what’s happening with the driver? I hit the AJ and AJ Max recently and loved them both. Didn’t even try the LS because I want high launch.

 

It was a draw/hook monster for me - did it on the range and it carried over onto the course.  I was using the same Ventus TR Red 7S that I'd used with good results in 2 other drivers, but I could not figure out the the AJ.  My saving grace is that I was in the middle flight and was teeing from the forward box, so I only used it 3 times on the course.  I'm going back to the Ai Smoke TD for the Mesquite trip next weekend.

 

6 hours ago, aloha b. said:

Is that the Stan’s in Santa Clara? Their glazed donuts are sooo delicious!

 

It is indeed.  Whenever we play, it's my job to stand in line and get a dozen glazed when they open.  Most of the buddies I play with all grew up in SC and I'm the only one that still lives here, so it's my responsibility.

 

3 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

 

Never shoot your cart's number for the front 9.  😁

 

The way I was putting, I'm surprised I didn't actually do that (shoot 57 on the front).  I stopped keeping mental track of the # of putts after I went 3/4/3/3 on holes 2-5.  Again, those weren't my scores for those holes - that was the # of putts!  

 

[Double Mocha Man]

8 minutes ago, imkirby34 said:

  I stopped keeping mental track of the # of putts after I went 3/4/3/3 on holes 2-5.  Again, those weren't my scores for those holes - that was the # of putts!  

 

 

Sheesh!  What are you putting with? A sledgehammer from Ace Hardware? Maybe the sugary donuts are making your hands shaky, though they sure sound good.

[imkirby34]

Even with as poor a putting day as I had, I managed to shoot 83 for net even-par 72 which was good enough for T2 in my flight.  The Takomo irons are staying the bag for the golf trip next weekend.  I didn't hit a poor shot with any of them, though I did turn over a few a bit more than I wanted.  Without actually swapping out the Axiom 105X for the 125X that I have in my Apex Pro set, I can't say for sure, but I think the 105X may be a better match for me. 

 

One thing is that I may end up weakening the loft on all of the Takomo's as I found out quickly that they go at least a half-club farther than my Apex Pro irons.  I don't think it was due to the Snell Prime 3.0 ball I was using.  It won't get any easier to judge distance when we're in Mesquite as it's going to be hot.  LOL.

[chisag]

11 minutes ago, imkirby34 said:

It was a draw/hook monster for me - did it on the range and it carried over onto the course.  I was using the same Ventus TR Red 7S that I'd used with good results in 2 other drivers, but I could not figure out the the AJ.  My saving grace is that I was in the middle flight and was teeing from the forward box, so I only used it 3 times on the course.  I'm going back to the Ai Smoke TD for the Mesquite trip next weekend.

 

 

 

... Such a peculiar game and equipment even more so. I was playing the Stealth2 HD when selected for the Cobra Challenge so every club in the bag was a Cobra. I never warmed up to the AJ Max either, but I was playing the stock Kai' Li shaft and not my Ventus Red. Based on your experience it probably wouldn't have made any difference. I missed left and right but mostly it produced an inconsistent trajectory for me and I just never developed any confidence with it. The much bigger head compared to my smaller S2 HD didn't help. I couldn't stop playing it fast enough when the review window/playing contest was over. Gave it to my 82yr old pard and he gained 10yds over his Ping G driver and hits it so straight. The Sr flex NVS 45gm shaft I installed for him certainly helped, and he absolutely loves the combo. 

[imkirby34]

5 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

 

Sheesh!  What are you putting with? A sledgehammer from Ace Hardware? Maybe the sugary donuts are making your hands shaky, though they sure sound good.

 

Yeah, I'll be the first to admit that it was ugly.  I was doing fine on the practice green.  I wasn't the only one that thought the practice green was faster than on the course, but you'd think I could adjust.  Speed was definitely my main issue today.    

[aenemated]

Crazy what a solid week of practice can do for your short game! 

 

Back in the day when Phil came on the scene; we were all about figuring out his short game - of course finally got down to the whole "hinge and hold." Which I did for years to good results to the point I never even much thought about it. Then when coming back to regular play and it being so out of practice; I abandoned it and went towards the whole "use the bounce" and such. Which worked a bit but I never felt THAT confident with it. 

 

Decided to go BACK to hinge and hold and after all week of figuring it out again; yeah ... it's just so damn easy when you have the couple key points down. Been working on just the 4 basic ones; square and open face with ball on lead foot, then same with ball on trail foot. Then varying distances. 

 

And it was funny ... there're two practice areas at Paiute; north and south. North one is right by #1 at Sun Mountain and the pitching green isn't great as it's kinda small and there's not much space to work much more than little chips from a couple yards off the green. South one is by #1 at the Wolf and has a MUCH bigger and better one. They'll tend to only have one open for the day. Fortunately today, it was the south one. 

 

After a bit, I'd been working on like 20 yard flops from the fringe cut and outta nowhere, the starter from the Wolf had walked down and says "Just wanted to tell you ... you have an incredible short game." I was like "Ha! Thank you but no I don't - that's why I'm here!" "No, I've been watching you hit those perfect high flops off that fringe cut - if yours is bad, mine's a disaster." "Just trying to get better, sir!" "Me too. Keep up the good work, son."

 

That was rather nice of him. 🙂

[aenemated]

4 minutes ago, imkirby34 said:

It won't get any easier to judge distance when we're in Mesquite as it's going to be hot.

 

Where ya playin in Mesquite? (Assuming NV ... think there's one in TX too) 

[chisag]

8 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

 

Sheesh!  What are you putting with? A sledgehammer from Ace Hardware? Maybe the sugary donuts are making your hands shaky, though they sure sound good.

 

 

... LMAO this reminds me of the first time I ever played with two ladies. One was on the fringe at the first hole and hit a putt waaaaaay too hard that missed the cup by a few inches and rolled to the other fringe. Her friend says "Wow that was so close! You did so good!" and she smiled and said "Thanks, That was good wasn't it?" And the hugged each other.  I was standing there in shock thinking any guy would have said something like "Sheesh if you could hit your driver that far you might be able to break 100". 🤣

[imkirby34]

Oh, and just like my avatar, I brought out my 442nd RCT golf towel for today's round which seemed appropriate for Memorial Day.  Go For Broke!

 

[touch]

.

 

Edited June 5 by touch

[mshills]

2 minutes ago, imkirby34 said:

Oh, and just like my avatar, I brought out my 442nd RCT golf towel for today's round which seemed appropriate for Memorial Day.  Go For Broke!

 

Nisei strong! 💪🏼

[imkirby34]

4 minutes ago, aenemated said:

 

Where ya playin in Mesquite? (Assuming NV ... think there's one in TX too) 

 

Yes, NV.   Some of us are flying out a day early to play Wolf Creek and then it's Oasis - Palmer, Conestoga, and Falcon Ridge.

[touch]

[Double Mocha Man]

8 minutes ago, imkirby34 said:

 

Yeah, I'll be the first to admit that it was ugly.  I was doing fine on the practice green.  I wasn't the only one that thought the practice green was faster than on the course, but you'd think I could adjust.  Speed was definitely my main issue today.    

 

Wishing you better fortune in Mesquite. 

[touch]

1 hour ago, touch said:

My long work day is over. I am home now and have decided to watch the OT period in the Rangers/Panthers game. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Overtime didn't last long. The Rangers win two in a row in OT. 

[deadsolid...shank]

7 minutes ago, imkirby34 said:

 

Yes, NV.   Some of us are flying out a day early to play Wolf Creek and then it's Oasis - Palmer, Conestoga, and Falcon Ridge.

Good thing no Coyote Springs then…....not the place to be when the putter isn’t working. Those greens are brutal. 

[mshills]

@touch that looks like a sweet event. I’m making BBQ tomorrow. Big Bob Gibson’s chicken with white sauce (Alabama style) and some Memphis style pork ribs dry rubbed over coals. 
 

I’m thinking the club does a good bit of bbq — I wouldn’t move that smoker more than a few feet! 😂