Question:
Your first 18? Congrats! You’re now on your way to becoming a total waste of air. Uhhh….thanks. Being a newbie, you have just experienced your first interchange with ….our resident comedic relief. We laugh AT her/him, not with her/him.
I don’t know sometimes I laugh with himher. Love the name and you got to admire the dedication to the cause. ___ o ’ | / . "Someone likes every shot" bk Troll intolerant. I took the RSG 2002 Pledge. Ignore them and they’ll go away.
Rod
Response:
-On 7, which is a straight Par 4 336, from the white tees, I hit the driver and landed it on the right-hand side of the fairway. It was about a 210 drive. I was proud of that shot. One of the things that helped was Rob and Dave took care of watching the ball flight so I could focus on keeping my head down. This helped me tremendously. With 125 or so to go, I pulled an 8-iron (on Rob’s advice) and popped it up, landing it two feet from the cup. I putted out for my very first birdie!
I hope Rob was your partner; otherwise, Ouch! Advice on which club to use? That’s a 2-stroke penalty (Rule 8-1). Congrats on your bogie (I’d still score it as a birdie).
Response:
The first hit is always free. –Blair "Watch out for entrapment."
Response:
I hope Rob was your partner; otherwise, Ouch! Advice on which club to use? That’s a 2-stroke penalty (Rule 8-1).
Only in competition, actually. "During a stipulated round, a player shall not give advice to anyone (emphasis added here) IN THE COMPETITION except his partner and may ask for advice only from his partner or either of their caddies." This was his first round ever. IIRC, he never mentioned that it was a competition round.
Response:
I hope Rob was your partner; otherwise, Ouch! Advice on which club to use? That’s a 2-stroke penalty (Rule 8-1). Only in competition, actually.
He was. "During a stipulated round, a player shall not give advice to anyone (emphasis added here) IN THE COMPETITION except his partner and may ask for advice only from his partner or either of their caddies." This was his first round ever. IIRC, he never mentioned that it was a competition round.
True. And Rob was my partner.
Response:
Your first 18? Congrats! You’re now on your way to becoming a total waste of air.
Response:
Your first 18? Congrats! You’re now on your way to becoming a total waste of air.
Uhhh….thanks.
Response:
Your first 18? Congrats! You’re now on your way to becoming a total waste of air. Uhhh….thanks.
Being a newbie, you have just experienced your first interchange with Miss Anne Thrope….our resident comedic relief. We laugh AT her/him, not with her/him. ___ o ’ | / . "Someone likes every shot" bk Troll intolerant. I took the RSG 2002 Pledge. Ignore them and they’ll go away.
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I hope Rob was your partner; otherwise, Ouch! Advice on which club to use? That’s a 2-stroke penalty (Rule 8-1). Only in competition, actually. He was. "During a stipulated round, a player shall not give advice to anyone (emphasis added here) IN THE COMPETITION except his partner and may ask for advice only from his partner or either of their caddies." This was his first round ever. IIRC, he never mentioned that it was a competition round. True. And Rob was my partner.
I’m just having some fun. Enjoy your birdie.
Response:
I putted out for my very first birdie!
I’m glad you enjoyed your first round. I can still remember mine … there was no birdie in it, but I was hooked like you. At some stage in the near future you’re going to have to change your sig. 
— Cheers Colin Wilson RSG Roll Call: http://rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=wilsonc Trentham Golf Club: http://www.trenthamgolf.com
Response:
Also, Bill how are you finding the group lessons, I know you’ve only posted about 2 of them but do you feel you are getting enough out of it?
Yes, and no. The value is pretty outstanding, especially since I can also get a student discount on clubs when I purchase them. I don’t know if that’s a Nike thing or if it’s a deal worked out through the local shop, since it’s in Plano, TX and Adams happens to be based here, too. I can apparently get a deal on Adams and Tour Edge clubs through the school. Pretty nice package deals. The group dynamic is good for new golfers, because everyone is pretty insecure about their swing, and since everyone is pretty much lousy, we all feel lousy together.<grin Steve, the pro, is really good about helping each student out as they need it, but if you’re doing well with a lesson he tends to leave you alone and let you do your thing. I guess that’s good for me, but might not be good for someone else. In this case, I do feel I’m getting MORE than I’m paying for, whatever that’s worth. The downside is that there isn’t enough time in group instruction to get more analytical about particular things in a particular person’s swing. The curriculum is pretty basic, designed to get you going. There are more advanced classroom settings, which I do plan on participating in, and those might be more to my liking at that point. Right now, I’d say it’s a good thing for newbies. Like I said, the discounts and free golf rounds and stuff that you get through Nike are a great value, and that alone is worth the cost of the instruction when you consider what all you get with a pro. If you’re truly a newbie like me, then the more expensive one-on-one lessons with pros might be overkill for the time being. We’re not meeting next week because of labor day weekend, but there will be a post after each lesson, as promised. -b
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – With 125 or so to go, I pulled an 8-iron (on Rob’s advice) and popped it up, landing it two feet from the cup. I putted out for my very first birdie! <clip <Forget the rest of the round…that birdie is the bring-backer. By the way, notice that hook in your cheek? Yep. Welcome to the addiction. Next stop: club building. OK, Bill. That’s just the first in a series of come-ons by the dark side. Put a ring of garlic cloves around your neck and have a wooden (better yet, graphite) stake ready for them. Remember, you can actually BUY good golf clubs. :-)
Tommyrot and vicious rumor. Don’t believe him.
Response:
-On 7, which is a straight Par 4 336, from the white tees, I hit the driver and landed it on the right-hand side of the fairway. It was about a 210 drive. I was proud of that shot. One of the things that helped was Rob and Dave took care of watching the ball flight so I could focus on keeping my head down. This helped me tremendously. With 125 or so to go, I pulled an 8-iron (on Rob’s advice) and popped it up, landing it two feet from the cup. I putted out for my very first birdie!
I was playing for a year before I got my first birdie. Congratulations!
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My friend Rob, his buddy Dave, a guy named Cliff and I all played Aki (ah-key) Ranch in Royse City, TX yesterday afternoon. We had some decent cloud cover so it wasn’t as hot as it could have been. I was, of course, nervous. It’s one thing to know rules and etiquette academically, but it’s another to actually try and apply everything on the course. I’ve decided that golfers really know how to multitask! I won’t give you a hole-by-hole report, but I will hit some of the highlights. -The greens were rather bristly. Putting on these greens was very different than at the practice range, and we were having to hit the ball much harder. Lots of putts were coming up short. -Because of the slow greens, the chip-and-run shots that I had practiced on Saturday with the pro were much harder to achieve. I am not very good friends with my wedges yet, and my short game showed it. I have a great deal of difficulty getting the ball up in the air with the wedges, with a tendency to hit it thin. Also, my target lines were utterly abysmal. I think I could have saved about ten strokes overall if I’d been chipping/pitching better. That’s my goal for the next time I play. -On 7, which is a straight Par 4 336, from the white tees, I hit the driver and landed it on the right-hand side of the fairway. It was about a 210 drive. I was proud of that shot. One of the things that helped was Rob and Dave took care of watching the ball flight so I could focus on keeping my head down. This helped me tremendously. With 125 or so to go, I pulled an 8-iron (on Rob’s advice) and popped it up, landing it two feet from the cup. I putted out for my very first birdie! -On eight, which is a par 4 326 with a right-dogleg, I again hit my driver, and it faded right, staying in the fairway right around the dogleg like it was on rails. I was really happy at this point. I hit a really crappy second shot next, though, and even though the putt was good I bogeyed that hole. I had a blast yesterday – more fun than I’ve had in years. I ended up shooting 112 for the day – 55 out and 57 in. For the moment, I’m pretty comfortable with my tee shots, and I need to focus more on short game – from 100 yards in. Aki Ranch isn’t a particularly difficult course, say the others (slope rating is 110) but I was just glad to get out and play. Next stop, Firewheel! -b Great story Bill. I think you’d be great fun to golf with, your enthusiasm and joy over good shots is something we could all learn from – Tiger are you listening? Enjoy the game and keep us posted on your progress. jmkanes
Agreed, as another new golfer (who hasn’t yet dared to hit the course) It’s great to hear of another new starter doing well and enjoying the process. When I’m coaching I really love the technical side of things, and I have the same feelings for golf, the technical process and the mechanics are what interest me the most, followed by the learning process. It’s interesting to compare the stages that I’m going through compared to the stages I put my students through, especially the stages a pro goes through to assemble a golf swing compared to how I’d construct a forehand or backhand. I have a feeling I could be quite decent at this golf lark, but I’ll let you know more once I’ve played a round or two!! (perhaps my self confidence is misplaced!!! Also, Bill how are you finding the group lessons, I know you’ve only posted about 2 of them but do you feel you are getting enough out of it? Regards Ash
Response:
With 125 or so to go, I pulled an 8-iron (on Rob’s advice) and popped it up, landing it two feet from the cup. I putted out for my very first birdie! <clip <Forget the rest of the round…that birdie is the bring-backer. By the way, notice that hook in your cheek? Yep. Welcome to the addiction. Next stop: club building.
OK, Bill. That’s just the first in a series of come-ons by the dark side. Put a ring of garlic cloves around your neck and have a wooden (better yet, graphite) stake ready for them. Remember, you can actually BUY good golf clubs. :-) ___ o ’ | / . "Someone likes every shot" bk Troll intolerant. I took the RSG 2002 Pledge. Ignore them and they’ll go away.
Response:
Yay! Whoopee! <wild cheering On your first round, you get a birdie! Fabulous! May it be just the first in a long line of ‘em. Congratulations! <Forget the rest of the round…that birdie is the bring-backer. By the way, notice that hook in your cheek? Yep. Welcome to the addiction. Next stop: club building.
Thank you, sir. And I was hooked the first time I hit a ball straight and true. It was a five iron. I was hooked right then. -b
Response:
-On 7, which is a straight Par 4 336, from the white tees, I hit the driver and landed it on the right-hand side of the fairway. It was about a 210 drive. I was proud of that shot. One of the things that helped was Rob and Dave took care of watching the ball flight so I could focus on keeping my head down. This helped me tremendously. With 125 or so to go, I pulled an 8-iron (on Rob’s advice) and popped it up, landing it two feet from the cup. I putted out for my very first birdie!
Yay! Whoopee! <wild cheering On your first round, you get a birdie! Fabulous! May it be just the first in a long line of ‘em. Congratulations! <Forget the rest of the round…that birdie is the bring-backer. By the way, notice that hook in your cheek? Yep. Welcome to the addiction. Next stop: club building.
Response:
Funny how newbies can make a birdie and think to themselves, ‘Ah, the first of many!’
It’s not that I have an *expectation* of more birdies, but I think the big aha! moment was that I learned that it was *possible* for me to do it. It’s one thing to watch others, it’s another to do it yourself. I did it. Which means that I can do it again. May not happen for a while, but knowing that I *can* make a birdie gives me both the confidence and the drive to try harder. Anyone else notice a definate emphasis on beginner’s luck with golf?
I think that’s true of most things, not just golf. And I think part of it is that often beginners have low expectations, are more relaxed as a result, and have fewer expectations of themselves, which means they can perform. Once they get a taste of success, they start getting wound up and make more mistakes. Philosophically, I believe I will try to play every round as a beginner, not beat myself up over bad shots, and let the results gradually improve with my skill level. One of the guys I work with is a relative newbie – been playing about two years – and aced a shot from a green on a par 3 in Minnesota. Greg Norman took one year to go from newbie to pro. A great deal of it depends on the beginner’s dedication to the game. Since I’ve given up a lot of other pursuits, I am quite focused on improving my game. My goal is to be able to break 80 in two years, max, and then try to start playing local tournaments. I have a long way to go, but I’m enjoying the trip. -b
Response:
Funny how newbies can make a birdie and think to themselves, ‘Ah, the first of many!’ Case in point: My little brother birdied his first two times ever golfing (when he didn’t know any better). That was followed by a two year birdie drought when he started working on his game more ’seriously’. Another first timer I played with hit the pin with his tee shot on a par 3 – an inch from a hole-in-one. Anyone else notice a definate emphasis on beginner’s luck with golf? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My friend Rob, his buddy Dave, a guy named Cliff and I all played Aki (ah-key) Ranch in Royse City, TX yesterday afternoon. We had some decent cloud cover so it wasn’t as hot as it could have been. I was, of course, nervous. It’s one thing to know rules and etiquette academically, but it’s another to actually try and apply everything on the course. I’ve decided that golfers really know how to multitask! I won’t give you a hole-by-hole report, but I will hit some of the highlights. -The greens were rather bristly. Putting on these greens was very different than at the practice range, and we were having to hit the ball much harder. Lots of putts were coming up short. -Because of the slow greens, the chip-and-run shots that I had practiced on Saturday with the pro were much harder to achieve. I am not very good friends with my wedges yet, and my short game showed it. I have a great deal of difficulty getting the ball up in the air with the wedges, with a tendency to hit it thin. Also, my target lines were utterly abysmal. I think I could have saved about ten strokes overall if I’d been chipping/pitching better. That’s my goal for the next time I play. -On 7, which is a straight Par 4 336, from the white tees, I hit the driver and landed it on the right-hand side of the fairway. It was about a 210 drive. I was proud of that shot. One of the things that helped was Rob and Dave took care of watching the ball flight so I could focus on keeping my head down. This helped me tremendously. With 125 or so to go, I pulled an 8-iron (on Rob’s advice) and popped it up, landing it two feet from the cup. I putted out for my very first birdie! -On eight, which is a par 4 326 with a right-dogleg, I again hit my driver, and it faded right, staying in the fairway right around the dogleg like it was on rails. I was really happy at this point. I hit a really crappy second shot next, though, and even though the putt was good I bogeyed that hole. I had a blast yesterday – more fun than I’ve had in years. I ended up shooting 112 for the day – 55 out and 57 in. For the moment, I’m pretty comfortable with my tee shots, and I need to focus more on short game – from 100 yards in. Aki Ranch isn’t a particularly difficult course, say the others (slope rating is 110) but I was just glad to get out and play. Next stop, Firewheel! -b
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My friend Rob, his buddy Dave, a guy named Cliff and I all played Aki (ah-key) Ranch in Royse City, TX yesterday afternoon. We had some decent cloud cover so it wasn’t as hot as it could have been. I was, of course, nervous. It’s one thing to know rules and etiquette academically, but it’s another to actually try and apply everything on the course. I’ve decided that golfers really know how to multitask! I won’t give you a hole-by-hole report, but I will hit some of the highlights. -The greens were rather bristly. Putting on these greens was very different than at the practice range, and we were having to hit the ball much harder. Lots of putts were coming up short. -Because of the slow greens, the chip-and-run shots that I had practiced on Saturday with the pro were much harder to achieve. I am not very good friends with my wedges yet, and my short game showed it. I have a great deal of difficulty getting the ball up in the air with the wedges, with a tendency to hit it thin. Also, my target lines were utterly abysmal. I think I could have saved about ten strokes overall if I’d been chipping/pitching better. That’s my goal for the next time I play. -On 7, which is a straight Par 4 336, from the white tees, I hit the driver and landed it on the right-hand side of the fairway. It was about a 210 drive. I was proud of that shot. One of the things that helped was Rob and Dave took care of watching the ball flight so I could focus on keeping my head down. This helped me tremendously. With 125 or so to go, I pulled an 8-iron (on Rob’s advice) and popped it up, landing it two feet from the cup. I putted out for my very first birdie! -On eight, which is a par 4 326 with a right-dogleg, I again hit my driver, and it faded right, staying in the fairway right around the dogleg like it was on rails. I was really happy at this point. I hit a really crappy second shot next, though, and even though the putt was good I bogeyed that hole. I had a blast yesterday – more fun than I’ve had in years. I ended up shooting 112 for the day – 55 out and 57 in. For the moment, I’m pretty comfortable with my tee shots, and I need to focus more on short game – from 100 yards in. Aki Ranch isn’t a particularly difficult course, say the others (slope rating is 110) but I was just glad to get out and play. Next stop, Firewheel! -b
Great story Bill. I think you’d be great fun to golf with, your enthusiasm and joy over good shots is something we could all learn from – Tiger are you listening? Enjoy the game and keep us posted on your progress. jmkanes
Response:
My friend Rob, his buddy Dave, a guy named Cliff and I all played Aki (ah-key) Ranch in Royse City, TX yesterday afternoon. We had some decent cloud cover so it wasn’t as hot as it could have been. I was, of course, nervous. It’s one thing to know rules and etiquette academically, but it’s another to actually try and apply everything on the course. I’ve decided that golfers really know how to multitask! I won’t give you a hole-by-hole report, but I will hit some of the highlights. -The greens were rather bristly. Putting on these greens was very different than at the practice range, and we were having to hit the ball much harder. Lots of putts were coming up short. -Because of the slow greens, the chip-and-run shots that I had practiced on Saturday with the pro were much harder to achieve. I am not very good friends with my wedges yet, and my short game showed it. I have a great deal of difficulty getting the ball up in the air with the wedges, with a tendency to hit it thin. Also, my target lines were utterly abysmal. I think I could have saved about ten strokes overall if I’d been chipping/pitching better. That’s my goal for the next time I play. -On 7, which is a straight Par 4 336, from the white tees, I hit the driver and landed it on the right-hand side of the fairway. It was about a 210 drive. I was proud of that shot. One of the things that helped was Rob and Dave took care of watching the ball flight so I could focus on keeping my head down. This helped me tremendously. With 125 or so to go, I pulled an 8-iron (on Rob’s advice) and popped it up, landing it two feet from the cup. I putted out for my very first birdie! -On eight, which is a par 4 326 with a right-dogleg, I again hit my driver, and it faded right, staying in the fairway right around the dogleg like it was on rails. I was really happy at this point. I hit a really crappy second shot next, though, and even though the putt was good I bogeyed that hole. I had a blast yesterday – more fun than I’ve had in years. I ended up shooting 112 for the day – 55 out and 57 in. For the moment, I’m pretty comfortable with my tee shots, and I need to focus more on short game – from 100 yards in. Aki Ranch isn’t a particularly difficult course, say the others (slope rating is 110) but I was just glad to get out and play. Next stop, Firewheel! -b