Didn't see a thread for this year.

What's everybody's favorite local course? I'm on vacation this week and I'm looking to play Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

7/3/2011 4:44:01 PM

how local is local?

7/3/2011 5:02:03 PM

a reasonable driving distance (<1 hr) from State

7/3/2011 5:03:37 PM

I'm a big fan of Tobacco Road

but if you need to keep it cheaper, I'd go River Ridge

7/3/2011 5:10:24 PM

after 6pm you can walk out at Crooked Creek for $7 or $9, i can't remember how much.

7/3/2011 5:29:58 PM

I'd like to think I could get in 10 or 11 holes before it got too dark

7/3/2011 5:56:09 PM

Hedingham is reopening July 8th...just had greens renovated from bentgrass to 'champion' bermudagrass

7/3/2011 6:28:57 PM

I just rampaged my new driver at Knight's Play



Never been one to kiss and tell, but I was one-hopping the net at the back of the range

7/3/2011 9:30:47 PM

tke would you be willing to tell us what kind of driver it was

7/3/2011 10:09:12 PM

Mizuno MP600

not brand new to the market, just brand new to me

7/4/2011 10:44:45 AM

I really like River Ridge and Lonnie Poole. Played Crooked Creek the other day...it's fine as well just not my favorite. If you still have your student ID, River Ridge is the way to go with $25 for 18-holes and the standard unlimited range balls. I've improved my score by an average of ~22 strokes over the past month just by making some adjustments to how I grip my irons and widened my stance for my driver. Looking for sponsorship soon

7/4/2011 11:50:40 AM

Eagle Ridge is probably my favorite cheap course around the Triangle

$25 after prime time with a student ID

7/4/2011 1:09:52 PM

My dad fixed my driver slice in about 2 minutes yesterday. Irons still need a lot of work though.

7/4/2011 1:33:25 PM

god right now my irons are so amazing but my driver just goes 20' and to the right. the last time i played i didn't even take it out of the bag, just hit 3 iron on the tees. so bad, makes me not want to play at all.

7/4/2011 1:41:43 PM

^ right there with you. i'm at the point where i refuse to take the driver out. 5 wood is ok, but i have been taking the 3 iron off the tee.

7/4/2011 2:07:31 PM

^ and ^^ I was doing the same thing last year, then had a short lesson with Tim at Knight's Play and he fixed me. I always though people were pulling my leg when they said lessons really helped, but Tim proved me wrong.

Favorite 'local' course is Sandy Ridge off 421 near Dunn. Takes right at an hour to get to from NCSU, but only costs $27.

If anyone needs someone to play with on Saturday/Sunday mornings (or weekdays after 8 or so at Knight's Play) hit me up - always looking more folks to join up with.

7/5/2011 2:40:24 PM

^x7 How does it feel?

Martin's down in North Myrtle has the MP-630 for $99, or the adjustable weight verision for $129, so I was considering splurging for the cheaper one.

Went into Dicks in Wilmington yesterday morning just to browse their golf sale...and I walked out with a brand new set of Nike Slingshot HL Irons for $149. I know they are an older model, but I hit them well, and I can't really complain about $149 for a complete set.

http://www.rockbottomgolf.com/nike-golf-slingshot-hl-hybrid-irons-set-graphite-steel.html

[Edited on July 5, 2011 at 3:05 PM. Reason : .]

7/5/2011 3:04:36 PM

if you want advice on your swing...post a video here if you want...i'll be happy to provide any help that I can

i'm not a pga pro or anything (Would have been if there was money in the field), just an avid golfer w/ a great eye for the golf swing

[Edited on July 5, 2011 at 3:50 PM. Reason : df]

7/5/2011 3:49:47 PM

Great (old) site for playing different courses on the cheap.

http://www.golfnow.com/raleigh-durham

7/5/2011 3:54:50 PM

Help me hit out of the sandtrap!

7/5/2011 4:01:18 PM

^aim to the left of your target, open the face a lot, open your stance, and visualize the ball sitting in the middle of a dollar bill. you want the club to make contact with the sand at the beginning of that bill. make sure you hit through the ball, not a punch shot

7/5/2011 6:03:08 PM

River Ridge yesterday morning. Crooked Creek today.

I love vacation.

7/6/2011 7:31:50 AM

played in Gatlinburg on vacation a few weeks ago; this was the par 3 12th:

7/6/2011 9:26:48 AM

Quote :

"Help me hit out of the sandtrap!"

Quote :

"^aim to the left of your target, open the face a lot, open your stance, and visualize the ball sitting in the middle of a dollar bill. you want the club to make contact with the sand at the beginning of that bill. make sure you hit through the ball, not a punch shot"

the best thing that has ever worked for me for sand shots is to put most of your weight on your left side (right side if a lefty). then visualize hitting behind the ball, take a full swing. DO NOT STOP THE CLUB AT THE BALL - you will either chunk it 1 foot in front of you or you will thin it over the green. The distance control comes from swing speed change, loft change, and how much sand you take from behind the ball.

but the moral of the story is make sure weight is on leading foot and swing through it! Also, how far you aim left is determined by how much you open the clubface. (for a right hander)



[Edited on July 6, 2011 at 10:54 AM. Reason : df]

7/6/2011 10:47:04 AM

and be sure to dig your feet in a decent amount

7/6/2011 11:04:53 AM

^yeah forgot about that....the general rule of thumb is to dig in as much as you choke up on the club...if you aren't choking up (for example on a longer bunker shot), just dig in a little bit for grip.

[Edited on July 6, 2011 at 11:16 AM. Reason : sdf]

7/6/2011 11:15:41 AM

Bryan Park Champions Course here in greensboro is well worth the $50. great course on Lake Townsend. gorgeous back 9.

7/6/2011 11:18:58 AM

it's strange how I'm more confident out of a greenside bunker than I am from rough at a similar distance.

7/6/2011 11:41:32 AM

Club selection question...if you had to choose between a 3 wood or gap wedge, which would be more beneficial to carry?

I haven't had a 3 wood for probably 2 years, and I hit my 5 wood fairly well, around 225-235 yds with good control. I am trying to decide whether to look into finding a 3 wood, or just picking up a gap wedge to bridge the 105-120 yd shots.

I have always been of the thought that your short game is where you score, and I know it really is a personal choice, but I was just interested in getting others' thoughts.

7/6/2011 6:59:22 PM

3 wood.

I use mine ALOT but Im a distance player and can hit it far and straight off the tee.

if you suck off the tee then you may want to go with the gap.

the only time I have ever really used my gap wedge is when I need to throw the ball up high over a bush thats in front of me or a green where the ball needs to STOP when it hits and not go anywhere.

its rare i use it. but the 3 wood, all the time. Like I said though, I like being on in 2 and can hit straight.

7/6/2011 7:20:02 PM

Quote :

"Club selection question...if you had to choose between a 3 wood or gap wedge, which would be more beneficial to carry? I haven't had a 3 wood for probably 2 years, and I hit my 5 wood fairly well, around 225-235 yds with good control. I am trying to decide whether to look into finding a 3 wood, or just picking up a gap wedge to bridge the 105-120 yd shots. I have always been of the thought that your short game is where you score, and I know it really is a personal choice, but I was just interested in getting others' thoughts."

IMO...drop the 5 wood or (i assume) your 3 iron and add both the 3 wood and the gap wedge (or replace 5 wood and 3 iron w/ a 3 hybrid)...5 wood/3 iron hybrid and 3 iron should been w/in a few yards of each other and 5 wood/hybrid is much easier to hit. I'm a scratch golfer and in my bag the gap wedge is probably the most underrated club...it's one of my fav clubs to chip with and is awesome when you are trying to keep a pitch shot low.

I have a huge gap b/w my PW and 56 degree SW. The GW is a perfect filler and has helped my scoring much more than a 5 wood would.

Here's my bag set up:

7.5 degree driver
15.5 degree 3 wood (i have a 13 degree too that i'll throw in sometimes for tighter/longer courses)
20 degree 3 Iron Hybrid
4 through PW
52 degree GAP
56 degree SW
60 degree LW
Putter


if you go w/ the gap wedge...let me know your current wedges' degrees...you'll want to fit it in correctly w/ your current degrees.

i haven't carried a 5 wood in probably 10 years w/ the onset of hybrids to replace

7/6/2011 9:30:57 PM

Well I just bought the Nike Slingshot HL hybrid irons for $149 at Dicks on Monday. I wasn't actively looking for a new set but I thought $149 was a pretty good deal.

With the Slingshot Irons in my bag it would be

D, 5W, 3H,4H,5H, 6i, 7i, 8i, 9i, PW, 56, 60, putter. So was considering adding a 3W or 52 to complete the 14 clubs in my bag.

I was playing with a set of Mizuno MX-23s. That set would have been

D, 3W, 5W, 4i, 5i, 6i, 7i, 8i, 9i, PW, 56, 60, putter. The 3W is a junk $5 yard sale special that is like swinging a concrete pole, and I use it for random punch shots at this point.

I mean the 52 I was looking at was $35, so I could theoretically buy both clubs and just remove and replace with whatever course I was playing. But for conversation sake, I wanted to see others choice between the 3W or 52.

7/6/2011 9:39:22 PM

i guess if you're willing to own both then that would be nice....i mean having 15 clubs in the bag isn't going to get you in troulbe unless your playing legit tourneys lol...i would carry both so you can practice w/ both and take out what you don't need when/if you ever play tournaments that enforce club count

7/6/2011 9:46:10 PM

Lol dbmcknight I played there too back in June. That back nine was not my cup of tea...hate courses where you can't use your driver. I also played Gatlinburg or w/e it's called (beside Dollywood) and had one of my best rounds ever. It was definitely a grip and rip course.

If any of ya'll are ever in the western part of NC I'd recommend Silver Creek off exit 96ish. The greens are in fantastic shape and it's somewhere in the middle as far as difficulty. Also I'd follow that round up with some western-NC BBQ :-P

Thanks for the sandtrap tips guys, I'l try to incorporate them into my game this weekend. Pretty pumped about hitting up some courses abroad. *Fingers crossed* that my clubs make it safely.

[Edited on July 7, 2011 at 12:32 AM. Reason : .]

7/7/2011 12:28:11 AM

Started off the year as a 13.6 handicap. I am now down to a 7.7. I have the original Cleavland Hibore. I think if I could get a new driver I would be down in the low seventies instead of the mid seventies. Also, Tobacco Road is great but its so much spot golf. The Preserve at Jordan Lake is a nice track.

7/7/2011 11:11:02 AM

Tobacco Road is so easy if you hit fairways...ridiculous if you don't


^I would get fitted for a driver...it's all about the shaft launch angle combined w/ the degree of the driver head....maximize your potential to hit a good shot by having the correct/fitted equipment 1st.

7/7/2011 11:16:49 AM

I loved Tobacco Road when I played there ~4 years ago. The Preserve... not so much. IIRC, it's a lot of dogleg holes that only allow you to hit ~230-240 at the most off of the tee. I'm not a fan of courses that take the driver out of my bag on the majority of par 4s

7/7/2011 11:38:07 AM

^Me either but I tend to score better when being force to play conservatively

7/7/2011 11:39:24 AM

Just got fitted/ordered the TaylorMade Burner 2.0 irons - can't wait until they come in

7/7/2011 3:21:19 PM

^they're cannons...it will take a while to get used to them but they are beasts

7/7/2011 3:22:58 PM

I just took my dad's old clubs and I need a 3 iron and a SW to finish it out. Anybody have one of these that they're willing to part with? I'm pretty terrible, so I'm not looking for anything special. The cheaper the better.

7/7/2011 5:42:48 PM

thrift store or buy it again sports

Or maybe a bargain bin type deal at a golfsmiths or something similar

7/7/2011 6:29:24 PM

Quote :

"Just got fitted/ordered the TaylorMade Burner 2.0 irons - can't wait until they come in"

When they were giving away free 6 irons I got one, and I love it.

7/8/2011 12:16:08 PM

John Daly posted an 18 on the 4th hole today

they changed it to an 11. WTF?

[Edited on July 8, 2011 at 1:27 PM. Reason : new math]

7/8/2011 1:16:51 PM

^now a 13

7/8/2011 2:04:39 PM

I'm probably going to be miserable, but heading to Lonnie to hit a bucket

7/9/2011 1:29:32 PM

teed off at 7:39 this morning...still humid as hell

7/9/2011 3:27:44 PM

Pumped about teeing off at 7:40 at Keimola (Vantaa, Finland) in mid-sixty degree weather with no humidity to speak of. Maybe Ruutu will be out working on his off-season golf

7/9/2011 5:40:12 PM

Played river ridge this morning and it's now one of my favorite courses in the area. Only shot a 92 but I'm just getting back into golf after a hiatus for awhile and need to retool my swing. I have the same problem posted before. Pretty decent with my irons but pretty much always right/slice with the woods. It tends to add at least one extra stroke to each driving hole. If I could get them relatively consistent (not necessarily long, just straight) I'd be much happier. The rest of my game I could figure out.

7/9/2011 8:33:42 PM

Are you cutting your follow-through short in excitement of seeing where the ball goes? That usually gives my woods a nice slice

7/9/2011 9:31:41 PM