***Official Bushwood Country Club Lounge***

[smittysbar]

Okay, here is a place for the Golfers to talk about tournaments, clubs, swing help or thoughts.

Today is the Players Championship, which I think ought to be the 5th Major. Largest pot in the PGA. The daunting 17th, which seems to bring excitement every year. At least we will get to see Sergio blow up yet again.

I am ready to see some water balls!

[Jerm]

Decided to go with The Club Member membership...always wanted to play Tiffany Greens, Dub's Dread, and Deer Creek...

Appears to be pretty good value...

[philfree]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Played Pevely Farms on Monday (cheaply) and thought of you, Phil.

I wouldn't come up if I were you. Greens weren't in the best of shape. Great layout, though.

Yeah I'm not making that trip. I just don't want to spend the money to stay the night. I appreciate the info though. Thanks, Man.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by MahiMike

My golf game hasn't changed in 30 years. I think that's a good thing.

On a better note, my 15 year old just shot a 69. First round under par. I'm gonna frame that score card!

That's awesome about your son.

[donkhater]

Got a question for the more experienced golfers:

I admit I don't play too regularly, but it seems that there is always a stint in the summer in which I am doing a lot of manual labor around the house and my drives go from a slight fade to pulled duck-hooks.

I gather it is from the fact that I am right handed and all the use of the right hand/arm is altering the grip pressure/dominance of my right side in my swing causing the hook.

Are there any quick fixes or tips or countermeasures that you have known over the years to combat this? It really is annoying.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by donkhater

Got a question for the more experienced golfers:

I admit I don't play too regularly, but it seems that there is always a stint in the summer in which I am doing a lot of manual labor around the house and my drives go from a slight fade to pulled duck-hooks.

I gather it is from the fact that I am right handed and all the use of the right hand/arm is altering the grip pressure/dominance of my right side in my swing causing the hook.

Are there any quick fixes or tips or countermeasures that you have known over the years to combat this? It really is annoying.

Could be that your big muscles become tight so instead of turning your torso you're just swinging with your arms.

[philfree]

I was just marveling at my childhood hero Tommy Watson swinging the club and hitting the ball like a man half his age. Besides playing golf what other fitness does he do that keeps him moving like a much younger man? What ever he does I want to copy it.

[philfree]

Callouses:
When I was young I pounded so many golf balls that I developed huge callouses on my left hand. I'd get a ridge of two callouses on my left hand. Once you get callouses they don't go away unless you quit using your hands.

I guess I want to know if there's an effective way to deal with callouses. Well besides sanding them off with an electric finger nail sander like I used to do when I was young.

As I work on my golf game I'm really trying not to developed big callouses that in the end change my grip and take away from my feel. I play much better when my hands are soft and smooth.

[seaofred]

I had been really struggling with my driver this year. I made a slight adjustment to my swing speed... My goodness, it's amazing what a little tempo will do.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by seaofred

I had been really struggling with my driver this year. I made a slight adjustment to my swing speed... My goodness, it's amazing what a little tempo will do.

Smoooth exchange at the top. Then just look at it and pound it!

I hit a hundred balls or a few more and played five holes today. I hit a few practice shots as I played as well and practiced putting on the holes I played. It didn't feel that great but I put in the work. It'll pay off in a couple of days.

I tried to make a putter change and a stance change and it wasn't working. Something I came up with while I was having a cocktail the other night. It worked great in the basement that night but in the daylight today no so much. Got to be careful about drinking, basement golf ideas. Think I'll return to what I was doing before.

[seaofred]

Originally Posted by philfree

Smoooth exchange at the top. Then just look at it and pound it!

I hit a hundred balls or a few more and played five holes today. I hit a few practice shots as I played as well and practiced putting on the holes I played. It didn't feel that great but I put in the work. It'll pay off in a couple of days.

I tried to make a putter change and a stance change and it wasn't working. Something I came up with while I was having a cocktail the other night. It worked great in the basement that night but in the daylight today no so much. Got to be careful about drinking, basement golf ideas. Think I'll return to what I was doing before.

Yeah, you got to watch that... I went to the LPGA tour even in NW Arkansas... My goodness Michelle Wie's putting stance is.... um... something else..

[philfree]

Originally Posted by seaofred

Yeah, you got to watch that... I went to the LPGA tour even in NW Arkansas... My goodness Michelle Wie's putting stance is.... um... something else..

Wie is my favorite pro to watch these days. She's all awesomey.

Speaking of tournnements I got a bundle of free passes for the Web.com Price Cutter Charity Championship today. We've been providing the scoring building out there for several years now. This we're having a brand new building built just for them for their 25 year anniversary. We donate the use of the building to them and we get a bunch of free passes, club passes with free food and drink and a few skybox passes. Should be big fun.

[philfree]

Well I played the next leg of the little amateur tour I joined yesterday at River Cut GC here in Springfield. Besides the medal play I also had a match. It was an up and down round where I didn't drive the ball very well. Hell I hit one in the river. However, before the day was through I made 5 birdies and won my match 2&1. It was a good match and it was all square at the turn with both players shooting 37 on the front 9. I was one down a few times but each time he won a hole I answered with a birdie.


We both got off to a shaky start on the back 9 with bogeys on 10 where I got lucky twice and ended up in a bunker and not the water. Then I won the 11th hole with a bogey to go one up for the first time in the match. That was a spark for me as I followed that with birdies on two of the next three holes to go 3 up. Then on the par 3 15th, a hole where I have some bad history, I hit a beautiful little wedge to 10' right below the hole. If I make the putt the match is over. I relaxed and promptly blew it 2' above the hole and of course it was a nasty little left to righter. I missed it and lost the hole. I could have closed the door and instead I jarred it open.

Then on the next two holes I made two big time clutch putts to close out the match. Two of the best putts I think I've ever made. Right through the heart.

On the par 5 18th I hit a 3 wood off the tee. I nutted it and then followed that with a perfect lay up with an 8 iron and then I hit a knock down wedge to 6' and drained it for the bird, a 74 and the win in the medal play.

That's three wins in the last three starts. For a haggard old golfer it feels real good. Really good.

[ChiTown]

My game has completely fallen to shit. I can't chip within 100 yards of the green, My drives go anywhere but straight, and unless I'm in the fairway, swinging out of the rough is an adventure. I'm in golf hell right now - as frustrated as I have been since I started actively playing again 6 years ago.

Not going to play another round until I take a few lessons and figure out WTF went wrong. I'm miserable

[Old Dog]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

My game has completely fallen to shit.

I guess it isn't just me then, but it's only my driver that has gone to hell in a hand basket.
In the past two weeks I've played three rounds and I don't think I've hit more than three fairways in any of them and I have no flipping clue what I'm doing. If it was all missing right or left I could probably fix it, but it's left, right, top, just whatever.
I decided last night to try and play nine and leave the driver in the bag and use the three wood and that didn't seem to help either. I hit one fairway out of the seven and that one was topped so bad it went about 150 yards.

[KC native]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

My game has completely fallen to shit. I can't chip within 100 yards of the green, My drives go anywhere but straight, and unless I'm in the fairway, swinging out of the rough is an adventure. I'm in golf hell right now - as frustrated as I have been since I started actively playing again 6 years ago.

Not going to play another round until I take a few lessons and figure out WTF went wrong. I'm miserable

Same thing happened to me but I was playing with a rotator cuff injury and trying not to reinjure my lower back.

I've taken 6 months off to rehab those injuries. I've been to the range a couple times and seem to have straightened out some of my issues. I'm still working on getting past the shoulder injury before I hit the course again.