ANOTHER MILESTONE A fir this ole Hacker

[Suzuki Johnny]

I need to pat myself on the back after today's golf round... the owner of the Harley shop invited me to play at the Golden Nugget casino golf course.
It's a tuff lay out and it's not the type of course you don't want to learn on..
And I shot my age today ....a cool 39/40 79 with one birdie on a par 4.

It was rather chilly with a 15 mph north wind most of the afternoon and the temps hovering around 53, not ideal conditions for such a tuff course.
Kudo's to this ole hacker

[MattSunn]

When I used to play golf, I'd score 79 on the first hole.

[DevilsFan]

Nice!

Great round, SJ!

[Tbeck]

Anything in the 70's is a good round of golf SJ, nicely played. My game if you call it that is so inconsistent these days that I am happy coming in in the 80's. I'll have more time to improve after June

[Suzuki Johnny]

Shooting in the 80's is my game as of late...old age has consequences that the human body is unable to perform as time goes by and the aches and pains of doing too much.
I try to keep active as much as possible but as all of you know during the colder winter months it's quite a hassle to keep fit.
Spring is here and I'm preparing my 30 X 8 foot garden for planting and that helps as I do it all by hand, no tiller.

In my heyday I carried a 5 handicap and most times I was in contention for my golf club's championship, tied several times for first place but always lost in the playoffs. And at age 79 now I'm now a 14 handicap that can hold his own during our weekly retiree golf games. We play for the big bucks, it's a three dollar throw down We use the points system using the last three rounds played as an average.
8 points for an eagle, 5 for a birdie, 3 for a par, 1 for a bogey and a 1/2 point for a double bogey. triples are worthless. And one can only make two triples the entire round, after two are made triple bogeys count for a double 1/2 point.
using this system eliminates the potential to pad one's scores as a couple of our players tend to do sometimes. So far no one has cashed in on a 8 point eagle.
If you're lucky you might win a couple of bucks tops! But you can win more during the after-round card game

[ncdave]

90s was always good for me. that's why I gave it up for motorcycle riding.

[Yooper]

My first and last time golfing was fun. I think. 3 drunken buddies, 1 golf bag with a wood and a 7 iron which we all shared. The rest of the bag was filled with beer and a bottle of Jack Daniels. Shared that too. I do remember us getting ejected from the course by the local sheriff deputy. A good time was had.

[Tbeck]

SJ I to was a low handicap in the 1980's and I always took the long drive prize home. Injuring my back changed my game entirely. I did get back down to a low handicap after learning an entirely new swing while in the UK the last time, but to be honest I have not played enough gold in the past 20 years to even establish a handicap. On average when I do get out, I'm usually shooting an 82-88 round. Just not consistent enough to do better with so little play. No slicing or hooks, just too long or too short. I'll toss a 8 iron 120 yards 5 times in a row and the 6th will go 150 . Something to work on in retirement

[Suzuki Johnny]

SJ I to was a low handicap in the 1980's and I always took the long drive prize home. Injuring my back changed my game entirely. I did get back down to a low handicap after learning an entirely new swing while in the UK the last time, but to be honest I have not played enough gold in the past 20 years to even establish a handicap. On average when I do get out, I'm usually shooting an 82-88 round. Just not consistent enough to do better with so little play. No slicing or hooks, just too long or too short. I'll toss a 8 iron 120 yards 5 times in a row and the 6th will go 150 . Something to work on in retirement

Yep that yardage difference is noticeable during your round.. when you do hit that 8 iron in the sweet spot, you'll get the kind of results a low handicap player experiences just about every time. Us amateurs don't have that ability to pull off that perfect shot on a regular basis, and you can contribute that to not practicing the way we should be if we were set on lowering our handicap. When I'm invited to play at a local Casino with a good friend and on Wednesdays play with our retiree group, I'll get to play twice a week, not really enough to lower one's handicap for sure.

And finally someone in our retiree group has broken the eagle ceiling... MOI...last Wednesday I got lucky and caught the cart path and the bridge over a gully and ended up 74 yards in front of a really hard par 5 monster. For us seniors it was playing 414 yards.
That score card is not up to date, #9 shows it as a par 3 and at 116 yards, since a year ago they have added another green and #9 is still playing to a par 3 but it's actually 186 yards.
Even a blind hog will find an acorn now and then.

Footnote: I followed that 44 on the front with a 38 on the back for a smooth 82 and won the big bucks in our game, taking home a whooping 7 bucks

[RoadKing]

90s was always good for me. that's why I gave it up for motorcycle riding.

Yep. Never have played the game and that is likely why I am one sided on my druthers. My motto has always been… when it’s time to go putt, I’ll do mine on a motorcycle. Also, not meaning to low rate myself, but it’s true, I never have exactly seen myself as a fit in country club society.
However, I am not a complete rube. I have watched the game and as a boy was a tv viewing member of Arnie’s Army! And, I do appreciate the tremendous amount of science, patience, and skill involved in making that little ball go into a little hole hundreds of yards away. USING A FREAKING CLUB! I doubt I could ever do it.

[Herb]

90s was always good for me. that's why I gave it up for motorcycle riding.

Yep. Never have played the game and that is likely why I am one sided on my druthers. My motto has always been… when it’s time to go putt, I’ll do mine on a motorcycle. Also, not meaning to low rate myself, but it’s true, I never have exactly seen myself as a fit in country club society.
However, I am not a complete rube. I have watched the game and as a boy was a tv viewing member of Arnie’s Army! And, I do appreciate the tremendous amount of science, patience, and skill involved in making that little ball go into a little hole hundreds of yards away. USING A FREAKING CLUB! I doubt I could ever do it.

I know that I couldn't.

[Suzuki Johnny]

I achieved another milestone in my golfing hobby..

Last Thursday November 16th, 2023 I recorded my eighth (8) Hole n One at Frasch Park located in Sulphur , La

Par 3 121 yards with a 7 iron,, Over clubbed, but with a big pond in front of the green and I wanted to be damn sure I carried the water.

Only one of two that I actually seen the ball go in the hole.

Currently I am in 9th place for area golfers with hole n ones with a couple of other guys.

[sgtcall]

Nice work SJ.

I have been working on my game and am getting better. I go to the driving range at least once a week and hit 100 balls. I am pretty good with the irons and get straight shots consistently but I still have an issue controlling the slice with my driver. Sometimes I get it to go straight but more often it travels off to the left.

[Suzuki Johnny]

Nice work SJ.

I have been working on my game and am getting better. I go to the driving range at least once a week and hit 100 balls. I am pretty good with the irons and get straight shots consistently but I still have an issue controlling the slice with my driver. Sometimes I get it to go straight but more often it travels off to the left.

Ah yes the dreaded deadly Driver.. some golfers prefer to use their drivers killing anything that moves on the course then what it is intended use is...

Most beginner golfers tend to slice the ball more often that straight, even left handers. So don't feel like you're the only one with that malady.

Oops I read that wrong, unless you're hitting from the LEFT side..R U left handed? If you are a Lefty just move your right foot forward using my hint below.





Try this .. address the ball in with your usual stance then move your left foot forward about two inches or so and use your usual swing..
Slicing the ball comes from an outside to inside swing. Moving your left foot forward a bit tends to straighten out that out/in swing.

If all else fails on wide fairways just aim a bit more to the left and just maybe you might hit more short grass shots.

One swing thought On all your shots you should be throwing the back of your left hand at the intended target..

and just like an old Pro told me... if you don't see your tee or grass move during your shot, you've hit a bad shot.
you're unable to hit anything if you move your eyes off the ball before contact.

[sgtcall]

I am right handed so I will try that next time. Thanks.

[Suzuki Johnny]

I am right handed so I will try that next time. Thanks.

Alright then the original message applies.

Another practice drill is to bring a handkerchief with you to the driving range.

At address slide the hanky under your right shoulder and firmly keep it there throughout your swing...
doesn't matter what club you're hitting the drill remains the same

After each swing if the hanky is on the ground, you've made what the Pros call a bad swing with the emphasis on "swing"
You may hit a good shot and hit the ball where you've intended it to go but you have still made a bad swing.

I'm just relaying what I was instructed by an old Country club Pro who at the time was in his late 60's early 70's and still played to a 7 handicap.
By chance I had asked him to play in one of the club's tournaments and after that I was his partner for years and during those many rounds, he gave me swing lessons that I still use today.

I'm just passing it on.

[HARRIS]

A CLEAN ONE OR SLIGHTLY USED ...

[Suzuki Johnny]

A CLEAN ONE OR SLIGHTLY USED ...

Preferably a clean one, never can tell if one of those days on the course you might meet up with a damsel in distress.

Happened to me a few years ago, my group caught up with the foursome in front of us, seems a gal in that foursome had broken her driver, dang thing broke off right below the grip and had put a deep gash on her on her hand.. I was the only one in that 8-person group that had a clean hanky. I wrapped it around her wrist, and it did stop the bleeding. She was very appreciative, never did see that hanky again though!