06-10-2003, 05:14 PM
DeeBye,Jun 10 2003, 04:15 AM Wrote:.Ah yes, the evil.
My advice is to sell the clubs and go play darts :D If you still want to go on and play golf, here're my humble suggestions.
>What kind of ettiquette should I be aware of while playing on local
>courses?
Hmm, not sure what you refer to here, but I'll throw a wild guess' suggestion or two.
Never go in a party bigger than 4.
Let other parties that are smaller and/or faster than you overtake you. This is usually done in the start of the next hole, but you can simply step aside in the middle of the hole and let them go.
Don't throw balls over people's heads, give them a few extra yards of advantage (this might or might not apply to you, it does apply to me since I do 290-300 yards drives).
Don't speak while others swing.
Don't stand right behind someone when they're swinging. It can be very distracting.
If your ball is a fair few yards ahead of your buddy's one, wait until he hits to go to it. If it's not too far and the separation is enough then you can go next to it. The reason is simple: golf balls hurt. A lot.
>I bought a 7-piece set. That's 4 irons, 2 drivers, and a putter.
>What about a wedge? Do I really need one? Could I just use a 9-iron
>to pitch out of bunkers for now, and buy a cheap-o used wedge down
>the road?
Not really. You can get out of almost anywhere with a 9 iron, and you can do all the chipping (that is, the short shots when you're around the green and want the ball to roll, but are too far to use a putt) with a 7 iron. Only if the sand traps in your local course are really nasty (very deep with extra-soft sand) I'd recommend a sand wedge. Or for trick shots like getting the ball out of a foot-deep stream of water.
>How long does a normal game (18 holes) of golf take, assuming - say -
>I play with 2 other people? Cost?
3.5 hours is a good estimate. Cost? Depends where you are :)
>How many balls should I buy for my first round? Tees? Other
>paraphenalia? Is the really expensive gear THAT much better than the
>cheap stuff?
10 or so should be enough balls. In your first round (I asume after at least a few lessons :P) you won't be losing balls for sending them to far unknown territory, rather by sending them to water hazards ;). After that you drop to a more comfortable position and off you go. Get used balls from your local club (the ones they "fish back" from the water hazards, basically you'll be renting them ^_^)
Tees, they come in 100's packs so just stuff one of those in your bag and don't worry about it for a few months at least.
A cap.
Depending on the course, a bottle of water (if there're fountains or not).
A small towel to get the mud out of your clubs/ball (dip one end into the first lake you come accross).
A coin or some marking thingy for picking up your ball in the green. (This might sound silly, but I've more than once left my wallet in the locker or the car because I won't need it and found myself without anything to mark where the ball is).
The expensive stuff. It's just not worth it. Any set will leave 95% of the population satisfied. They don't even have to be a "fixed" set. There's only one thing to look for: if it feels/plays good, use it. For example, my set:
-I have 3 woods from 3 vendors:
1. Clear Difference. Made of methacrylate. It's funny to see it hit longer than those people with their "Greatest Big Bertha" thingies.
4. MacGregor. Oak wood.
5. Yamato. Titanium compound.
-Irons:
1. Tylor Made. I use it with moderation because, although it achieves nice distances, it always feels like hitting a rock.
4-9. Ping. Not the modern ones (whose head looks kinda chubby), but the old, smaller-headed sharp-edged ones.
Short range:
Pitch. Titleist. Rather plain. Works.
Wedge. Ye olde Sande Wedge. I don't know the make because you can't read it anymore :D Very old, the head is actually made of bronze. Very heavy. Gets me out of anywhere (including water up to 1 foot deep).
Chipper. I've always used a 7 iron for this, and it works. Then I came accross this MacGregor chipper, and as I said, if it works use it. So I do :D.
Putter. Another unknown brand, it's actually the same putter I learned with when I was like 12. It's funny to see a 6'2" guy putting with a 70 cm club :D
That is far from any "professional all-purpose rounded" club collection. Why do I need a chipper, a pitch and a wedge? Just because :)
My best Handicap: 19.
My best shot ever: A drive on a particulary dry day that hooked just as much as the fairway bent, rolled and jumped over a sand pit and landed in the green. On a 380 yard par-4. I made a 2. That felt really good.
My best round ever: a 39 on a 36-par 9 hole course in Brazil. That was the day when everything worked.
My funniest round ever: when I did 84 (gross) on a 72-par course during a tournament after severely injuring my right arm (dislocating the shoulder). The dislocation was not Golf-related :P
And so, despite being a rather mediocre player, I've got several silly stories like this to tell. So does every other golfer :lol:
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Oh yeah, there's something I *hate* about Golf. No matter how crappy I'm playing there's always some shot/hole where I do something amazing and makes me come back the next time (see above examples) :lol: