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

[mshills]

1 hour ago, chisag said:

.. Sadly, this is the street I live on. To say I hate it is an understatement but homes I Scottsdale with actual yards are well over $1,000,000. Charging $500,000 for 20,000 sq feet and right on top of each is the norm in Phoenix. And yea, my neighbors on both sides love their fireworks. 

One of my buddies of 25+ years of friendship lives up just next to Pinnacle HS, I think the development is called Sky Crossing. He built the house — really nice place and it’s appreciated a lot since he built it, but I need more space. The 3y I lived in Miami solidified that for me. I would not trade those years for anything, but townhome living is not for me, not any more. 
 

I have a funny tale I’ll have to post about moving out of Miami where my moving crew nearly whooped that a** on my next door neighbor. Almost got ugly really quick. 

Edited Wednesday at 08:56 PM by mshills
Name

[dashanks]

59 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

 

... Sadly, this is the street I live on. To say I hate it is an understatement but homes I Scottsdale with actual yards are well over $1,000,000. Charging $500,000 for 20,000 sq feet and right on top of each is the norm in Phoenix. And yea, my neighbors on both sides love their fireworks. 

I like it, but it would seem like a very challenging neighborhood for an alcoholic to find his house in.  

[chisag]

49 minutes ago, mshills said:

One of my buddies of 25+ years of friendship lives up just next to Pinnacle HS, I think the development is called Desert Ridge. He built the house — really nice place and it’s appreciated a lot since he built it, but I need more space. The 3y I lived in Miami solidified that for me. I would not trade those years for anything, but townhome living is not for me, not any more. 

 

 

... It is one of the trade offs that is starting to bother me more and more. May - October is almost irrelevant as we just don't do anything in our yards because of the heat. I grew up in semi rural areas and had a spacious yard in Bolingbrook IL for 35 years so this is a radical change. My first few years I was playing so much golf it didn't matter, but as time presses on I miss a yard and space. My mind has been drifting to other places to live. 

[imkirby34]

3 hours ago, chisag said:

 

 

... Well done but oh the irony. 🫣 I have flown the ball into the cup twice myownself doing damage to the cup both times ... and both came back out. In the area of argument for a HIO on a par 3, executive course that DMM inhumanely refuses to accept, my playing pard said I hit it in the hole in one shot and that is the very definition of a Hole In One isn't it? As much as I would love to take advantage of an interpretation loop hole, umm no. I have resigned myself to the conclusion that I will never have a HIO. 

 

I've seen that topic come up in other threads and stay far away from it.  To me, that makes as much sense as it wouldn't count if you weren't able to complete the round. 

 

I guess maybe my first one doesn't count since it was at a 9-hole, Par 31 course.

[chisag]

4 minutes ago, imkirby34 said:

I guess maybe my first one doesn't count since it was at a 9-hole, Par 31 course.

 

 

... It COUNTS for the newlywed and I! 🥳

[chisag]

8 minutes ago, dashanks said:

I like it, but it would seem like a very challenging neighborhood for an alcoholic to find his house in.  

 

 

... Haha I hate HOA's and their AZ color codes. Backyard is coming along with my Lemon and Red Pistache trees and this fall I will but some native bushes and plants along the back wall that hopefully attract indigenous birds. But til feels a little like putting lipstick on a pig because there is only so much we can do in this dry heat.


 

[imkirby34]

8 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

 

... It COUNTS for the newlywed and I! 🥳

 

At least it wasn't 65 yds - it was 160.  LOL.

[Double Mocha Man]

21 minutes ago, chisag said:

Haha I hate HOA's and their AZ color codes.

 

I think you told me once you can't even paint your cinder block walls...

[chisag]

14 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

 

I think you told me once you can't even paint your cinder block walls...

 

 

... Yup. Pretty silly. 

[NJBigFish22]

I’d live in my car before living in an HOA.  The original idea was sound but it has evolved into generally a complete and utter 💩 show for residents.

[chisag]

12 minutes ago, NJBigFish22 said:

I’d live in my car before living in an HOA.  The original idea was sound but it has evolved into generally a complete and utter 💩 show for residents.

 

 

... Haha right there with you but Phoenix is HOA. When I applied for my home loan, since I was still on the deed for my home in IL, they wanted to know how much was my monthly payment to my HOA in IL. I told them we didn't have an HOA and she looked at me like I was an alien. Said she had to talk to her supervisor and came back telling me she had good news, I would just need a notarized letter from my IL HOA stating I didn't owe a monthly payment. 🤣  To be fair, mine isn't very intrusive other than paint and external appearance rules. They did issue me a warning about weeds when I had Covid and after letting them know they said just remove them when I felt better. When I wanted to put a Direct TV dish on my roof I expected a challenge but that said it wasn't a problem. 

...  We have to have X number of plants in our front yard, which I do. The trouble in paradise is because of the cost of homes, there are too many rentals with less than ideal citizens that don't care about their yard or their homes, letting weeds grow, plants and trees die and junk in their yards because they are renting short term. You know the same problem as everywhere... people. 

[aenemated]

I don't mind the HOA here. It's like $130/yr year and they do a fine job keeping the neighborhood looking nice and clean. After last spring's crazy rain and all the weeds that came with it; a lot of people were just letting them go and man ... started to look a lil crappy around here. 

 

I, of course, took care of mine because my yard is lovely and I like keeping it that way. But there was a general letter sent all "Clean your ish up or get fined." I'm totally fine with that. 

Edited Wednesday at 10:26 PM by aenemated

[chisag]

10 minutes ago, aenemated said:

I don't mind the HOA here. It's like $130/yr year and they do a fine job keeping the neighborhood looking nice and clean. After last spring's crazy rain and all the weeds that came with it; a lot of people were just letting them go and man ... started to look a lil crappy around here. 

 

I, of course, took care of mine because my yard is lovely and I like keeping it that way. But there was a general letter sent all "Clean your ish up or get fined." I'm totally fine with that. 

 

 

... Sounds awesome really. Mine is $105 a month and imagine it will increase every other year or so. $88 when I moved in and went to $105 the 2nd year. 

[mshills]

I understand the need for HOAs. Where you have a large concentration of self-centered people very close together, I’m fine with having some type of covenants so that one jagoff can’t start to make trouble for someone else’s investment. 

The rental problem is a real problem. If the association was serious they could just forbid rentals completely. 
 

Where I lived in Miami I was one of those renters. Three years in a pretty nice townhome, and the association was very Draconian. I didn’t complain because look, I didn’t buy in there, this is a perfect place for me to live right now and it’s in a great elementary school zone for my young kids. I actually had tofly in to interview with the HOA president when I was signing the lease. 🤣🤣 Crazy, but if you have been near Miami real estate, I get it!

 

 One time I got cross threaded with the association there and realized how serious they were. I drove a classic car when I lived there, and regular oil checking — CHECKING, not CHANGING — was important. In front of my TH one afternoon I popped the hood to check the oil real quick. Had to run inside to get a paper towel. 

 

The next day I had a letter in my mailbox informing me of my transgression, saying that if I “worked on my vehicle” again, I’d be fined, and a third violation would invalidate my lease!

 

Only in South Floriduh. 

[chisag]

... What a crazy Summer. Previous years I played up to about 114* but mostly in the 110* to 112* range and sat out higher temps. But this summer the dew point has been hovering around 60* instead of the mid 40's and it is just so much more oppressive. Doesn't look like I will be playing for awhile. 🥵






 

[dashanks]

22 minutes ago, mshills said:

I understand the need for HOAs. Where you have a large concentration of self-centered people very close together, I’m fine with having some type of covenants so that one jagoff can’t start to make trouble for someone else’s investment. 

The rental problem is a real problem. If the association was serious they could just forbid rentals completely. 
 

Where I lived in Miami I was one of those renters. Three years in a pretty nice townhome, and the association was very Draconian. I didn’t complain because look, I didn’t buy in there, this is a perfect place for me to live right now and it’s in a great elementary school zone for my young kids. I actually had tofly in to interview with the HOA president when I was signing the lease. 🤣🤣 Crazy, but if you have been near Miami real estate, I get it!

 

 One time I got cross threaded with the association there and realized how serious they were. I drove a classic car when I lived there, and regular oil checking — CHECKING, not CHANGING — was important. In front of my TH one afternoon I popped the hood to check the oil real quick. Had to run inside to get a paper towel. 

 

The next day I had a letter in my mailbox informing me of my transgression, saying that if I “worked on my vehicle” again, I’d be fined, and a third violation would invalidate my lease!

 

Only in South Floriduh. 

Amazing how the slightest bit of power can go right to some people's heads.

[mshills]

2 minutes ago, dashanks said:

Amazing how the slightest bit of power can go right to some people's heads.

Yep. And the fact that someone was watching me is what pissed me right off. I had no ownership interest so nothing to fight, but 0% chance I’d buy after that experience. 
 

All moot anyhow since we had to move again. 

[dashanks]

2 minutes ago, chisag said:

... What a crazy Summer. Previous years I played up to about 114* but mostly in the 110* to 112* range and sat out higher temps. But this summer the dew point has been hovering around 60* instead of the mid 40's and it is just so much more oppressive. Doesn't look like I will be playing for awhile. 🥵






 

I couldn't imagine that.  I just had a nice five day stretch of sunny, low 80's, low humidity days.   Tomorrow the hot and sticky stuff hits and the pleasant days will be a rarity for the rest of the Summer.  

[mshills]

I do understand though. Guy I worked with, big ole Cuban, massive mustache and HUGE forearms, owned a building in Hialeah with like six units in it. 
 

One tenant upon move-out slowly flushed a couple bags worth of Quikrete down the commodes, a couple cups at a time. That’s the kind of 🐂 💩 you deal with in Miami housing. 

[touch]

47 minutes ago, chisag said:

... What a crazy Summer. Previous years I played up to about 114* but mostly in the 110* to 112* range and sat out higher temps. But this summer the dew point has been hovering around 60* instead of the mid 40's and it is just so much more oppressive. Doesn't look like I will be playing for awhile. 🥵






 

 

 

There is a chance that an all time record will be hit in the Newlyweds hometown on Sunday......120*  !  This guy says it is 115* there today, 

I've lived that endless oppressive summer desert heat and I don't miss it. 

 

It turned quite hot here with afternoon high temps to hit 90* for the next 3 days.

 

 

 

 

Edited Thursday at 12:15 AM by touch

[chisag]

6 minutes ago, touch said:

There is a chance that an all time record will be hit in the Newlyweds hometown on Sunday......120*  !  This guy says it is 115* there today, 

I've lived that endless oppressive summer desert heat and I don't miss it. 

 

It turned quite hot here with afternoon high temps to hit 90* for the next 3 days.

 

 

... I just view it as a much more acceptable version of a Chicago Winter. Even though I am pretty much stuck inside with AC, there is still sunshine and green trees as opposed to up to 30 days of depressing dark gray skies and leafless trees. I have to admit, somewhere in between with low humidity could be very attractive. Or maybe just a second summer residence. 

[touch]

6 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

 

... I just view it as a much more acceptable version of a Chicago Winter. Even though I am pretty much stuck inside with AC, there is still sunshine and green trees as opposed to up to 30 days of depressing dark gray skies and leafless trees. I have to admit, somewhere in between with low humidity could be very attractive. Or maybe just a second summer residence. 

 

 

I hear ya chisag. We can't all live in La Jolla !  😀

[Hickory4ever]

A HIO is a HIO, regardless on the course including shorter courses. If you put a 1 on the scorecard, it counts by definition. There is no regulation in the rules of golf and never has been. A HIO is basically a lucky shot and although nice to have is not a big deal. I have had 5 and did not have any mounted on a trophy for that reason. 

 

I know several great players like @chisagthat have none and I know of several terrible players that have lucked in to one. Since there is no regulation, how can there be a regulation hole in one. That being said, I hope @chisagbags one and enjoys it. Incidentally, all 5 of mine were great shots and ranged in length from 120 to 200 yards and I gladly bought drinks in all cases.

 

I would personally never live full time in a place where the temperatures were so oppressive for months at a time. I don’t mind winter for the most part because I know how to dress for it. Being confined to home with an AC unit for several months would drive me crazy. I rarely have to stay inside in winter for more than a few days at a time.

 

 

 

Edited Thursday at 01:51 AM by Hickory4ever

[chisag]

2 minutes ago, Hickory4ever said:

A HIO is a HIO, regardless on the course including shorter courses. If you put a 1 on the scorecard, it counts by definition. There is no regulation in the rules of golf and never has been. A HIO is basically a lucky shot and although nice to have is not a big deal. I have had 5 and did not have any mounted on a trophy for that reason. 

 

I know several great players like @chisagthat have none and I know of several terrible players that have lucked in to one. Since there is no regulation, how can there be a regulation hole in one. That being said, I hope @chisagbags one and enjoys it. Incidentally, all 5 of mine were great shots and ranged in length from 120 to 200 yards and I gladly bought drinks in all cases.

 

I would personally never live full time in a place where the temperatures were so oppressive for months at a time. I don’t mind winter for the most part because I know how to dress for it. Being confined to home with an AC unit for several months would drive me crazy. I rarely have to stay inside in winter for more than a few days at a time.

 

 

 

... Good stuff there amigo and thanks for the well wishes. My cousin has never broken 100 and he has 3 HIO's. I watched him top a 5 wood down a hill, hop over a little dry creek bed and roll up onto the green and in the hole. Then a year later watched him slice a driver into a tree, heard the sound of a baseball bat hitting a baseball and then the ball popped onto the green and rolled in the hole. Kinda felt like Rod Serling was gonna step out of the bushes and say "Picture if you will, a bad golfer ..." 

... Otoh hand one of my playing pards shoots in the low 90's to upper 80's. Ex shop teacher in Chicago for 25 years with homes in Phoenix and Chicago and a really great guy. Built my golf work bench. When I met him several years ago he couldn't break 100 and he was using a full set of clones. The only real club in his bag was a Taylor Made Burner with a shaft too stiff and too heavy. I took him to a Callaway fitting and he bought 13 new clubs. 🤣 I have worked with him very sparingly. He never asks for advice but when I offer he is happy to accept. So it was awesome when I got to see him hit a HIO with a really nice shot.  Back pin on a tough par 3 and he hit a little fade with a hybrid from 179 that landed on the front of the green and tracking right to the hole and dropped. I bought him a drink when the cart girl rolled around and he said "Aren't I supposed to buy the drinks?" and I said "Not today!" 🥳

... And I think where you are raised plays a big role in acceptable weather. I just walked to the mailbox a half block away and the heat was intense but not bad. Not something I would enjoy with Chicago's wind chills, even with the right clothes. And as I said earlier, the dark skies for up to 30 days in a row and leafless trees look like a Tim Burton film. But I was born and raised in the South and rarely ever saw snow or temps below freezing. My 33 yr old born and raised in the Chicago burbs spent 2 year in LA and the constant sun an mid warm/hot days were OK, but he missed the chill in the air and yea, he missed snow. 

[touch]

 

I will be working today of course, but that doesn't stop me from wishing the rest of you Links Loungers a fine Independence Day. Maybe some of you are playing 18 today? 

 

 

You wouldn't happen to have one of those Vapes on you would ya? 

😅

 

 

 

[dashanks]

10 hours ago, chisag said:

 

 

... I just view it as a much more acceptable version of a Chicago Winter. Even though I am pretty much stuck inside with AC, there is still sunshine and green trees as opposed to up to 30 days of depressing dark gray skies and leafless trees. I have to admit, somewhere in between with low humidity could be very attractive. Or maybe just a second summer residence. 

San Diego, if they could somehow move it out of California.

[Triple Lindy]

I’ve been busy and haven’t been in the Lounge for a minute. Saw a reference to a poll and had to go back a couple of pages to find it.

 

1. Made a Hole in One

Nope. Lots of close calls, within inches. Still trying!

 

2. Driven a green

Yep. 

3. Broke a club

Not in anger, but had my bag fall over and broke my driver shaft. Probably doesn’t count for your poll.

 

4. Met a Pro Golfer

Flew with Bubba Watson from DFW to San Diego the week prior to his winning the Masters. He was in coach, too! 
 

5. Been on a golf trip

Yes - great times!
 

6. Made an Eagle

Yes, but not on the holes where I drove the green. Only one was in Puerto Rico - big drive followed by a 7W that took a big bounce towards the green and rolled on. I was just laying up and didn’t hit 3w because I had been hooking it. Never expected to make the green. Rolled in a 20 footer. Vivid memory because it was also a big skins carryover hole that paid double for birdie. (See question 5.) We didn’t consider a bonus for eagle, but I still pocketed a few hundred bucks from that hole. 
 

7. Made an albatross

Nope

8. Chipped in

Oh yeah. Even had a chip in this week.

 

9. 5 putted

It wouldn’t surprise me, but I don’t recall. Might be blocked from memory.

 

10. Made more than one birdie in a round

Yep. 
 

11. Been hit with a golf ball

I don’t think so. Been in a cart hit by a screaming shank. Witnessed a guy checking out someone else’s driver when a shanked ball hit the shaft of said driver as he was looking at it. Ball would’ve hit him right in the throat. Golf gods were kind that day.

[mshills]

I’ve seen some utterly crazy HIOs on the bag and with playing partners. If I had to guess, probably ~70% good shots, 30% shanks that hit a tree, bounced off seven mounds, then the rake shot the ball in the air, and it trickled into the cup. I’ve come real close to both — on the former I’ve absolutely ruined the cup a few times from landing IN the lip. On the latter I had a horrible shot in college in a scramble 🙄 run by a sorority 😁, shank that rattled around and ultimately lipped out! I was glad it did not go in. 

[Triple Lindy]

11 hours ago, Hickory4ever said:

Being confined to home with an AC unit for several months would drive me crazy.

It would drive me crazy, too, so I don’t stay confined. Grew up in the heat, so I’m accustomed to it. Don’t like it though and would love to move to the mountain west. Mrs. Lindy likes it here, though, and our roots are deep. I don’t hate it, but sure would like to try something different.

[mshills]

12 hours ago, chisag said:

 

 

... I just view it as a much more acceptable version of a Chicago Winter. Even though I am pretty much stuck inside with AC, there is still sunshine and green trees as opposed to up to 30 days of depressing dark gray skies and leafless trees. I have to admit, somewhere in between with low humidity could be very attractive. Or maybe just a second summer residence. 

Our plan has always been back to the south at some point after #2 graduates HS. Obviously my work will have a lot to do with that since I won’t be able to shut it down quite yet. Upstate SC, NE GA most likely area. With all my orthopedic stuff, hot weather is fine with me so the SW could work but we don’t want a metro area the size of PHX again. When it’s cold I’m uncomfortable, cold and wet everything is sore. 
 

You thought about your neighboring state to the east? I love just about everything about New Mexico, but not sure about year round golf. Think it’s too cold in winter.