Golf

[tigerman]

Ancer’s round was off the charts. Fantastic.

Yep, conditions were more favourable when he hit off, but it sure was a heck of a round.

 

[Redford]

Phil really moved it out there. 15th for driving distance all week - at age 50. Lost a lot of weight. Looks fitter than ever.

 

[MD Jazz]

Things can only improve. I actually was better off once my hacks that missed the cut were cast off.
Looking forward to the US Open.

Phil is a lot more likeable now than 15 years ago. He appears to have a great sense of humour and perspective. Always fun to watch play. Loved watching him out drive Koepka on 16. Phil loved it too!

 

[Redford]

Things can only improve. I actually was better off once my hacks that missed the cut were cast off.
Looking forward to the US Open.

Phil is a lot more likeable now than 15 years ago. He appears to have a great sense of humour and perspective. Always fun to watch play. Loved watching him out drive Koepka on 16. Phil loved it too!

Well, you'll have to pull your socks up in the inaugural PRE Triple Bogey Cup then Miles Davis. Torrey Pines....Phil's home town. It's gonna be absolute bedlam. (Played that course and been to the pro shop/practice range a number of times over the years. Very average course for a US Open.)

Interesting guy Phil. Few stories about him. Polarising guy.

 

[Michael]

Amazing effort by Phil. His career as a top flight player at Tour level looked well and truly over then boom ! Jumps up out of nowhere and puts in a spectacular Phil of old performance.

Very ordinary rounds by Koepka and Oosthuizen. Mistakes galore. Missed fairways, missed putts. How did Koepka miss that 2 footer on 3 and the 6 and 8 footers on 10 and 11 by a mile? Oosthuizen hit his 8 iron into 13 into the water which must have been 40 yards right of the middle of the green. Amateur hack stuff there.

Mega tough course but a lot of unforced errors by the key chasers.

Very mega tough, only a dozen or so under par. The way that course wraps around the water reminded me of swan island down at queenscliff

 

[Redford]

Very mega tough, only a dozen or so under par. The way that course wraps around the water reminded me of swan island down at queenscliff

I was talking to the Asst Pro at our club on Sunday and he played there a few years ago. (I've been there but haven't played there - just Harbour Town nearby.) Asst Pro hated it. Said it was a contrived and un enjoyable course. Location is great (Charleston and South Carolina is great) but the course is nothing but one big penalty, shot after shot after shot. Lost balls galore in his group.

I like the greatest golf architect ever, Alistair Mackenzie's approach - which is the exact opposite to Pete Dye's - and that is, a bad shot should not be punished by a severe penalty, rather it should require a great shot to recover from.

 

[MD Jazz]

Interesting guy Phil. Few stories about him. Polarising guy.

Yeh, always heard he wasn't the most popular guy with his fellow pros (was it Mark Allen who always brought this up?) but the US crowds have always loved him. I've never been much of a fan but he appears to have a pretty good sense of humour. No doubting his ability, kinda like it when a guy who hits it sideways at times does well. Gives me hope. Sublime short game has obviously helped him.

 

[MD Jazz]

I like the greatest golf architect ever, Alistair Mackenzie's approach - which is the exact opposite to Pete Dye's - and that is, a bad shot should not be punished by a severe penalty, rather it should require a great shot to recover from.

Personally I don't mind seeing these guys challenged. They are the best of the best so bad shots should be punished. Different playing it as an amateur.

I played at Sanctuary Lakes when it first opened and it wasn't much fun at the start as the rough was long. They had to mow it down as rounds were taking far too long and it was simply too hard as it blew a gale most days. Course was miles easier without the long rough as you could smash it anywhere and still have a shot.

 

[Michael]

I cant understand golf architecture at times, or the way they prep for big events. Whats wrong the good guys shooting really low scores?

Its not as though the over 50s womens penant make RM west look like a goat track, so why not leave it alone and let everybody see how much better the pros really are.

 

[MD Jazz]

I cant understand golf architecture at times, or the way they prep for big events. Whats wrong the good guys shooting really low scores?

Its not as though the over 50s womens penant make RM west look like a goat track, so why not leave it alone and let everybody see how much better the pros really are.

There's enough bland tournaments already with guys shooting 20+ under. To me it's a bit like the AFL and their obsession with scoring. Higher scores in footy/lower scores in golf isn't necessarily better. I like to see them tested.

I reckon you know how much better the pros are when clubs have guys off +5 handicaps who barely make a cent on the pro-am or Australasian tour and are way off the touring pros.

 

[Michael]

There's enough bland tournaments already with guys shooting 20+ under. To me it's a bit like the AFL and their obsession with scoring. Higher scores in footy/lower scores in golf isn't necessarily better. I like to see them tested.

I reckon you know how much better the pros are when clubs have guys off +5 handicaps who barely make a cent on the pro-am or Australasian tour and are way off the touring pros.

Good point, I'll shut up now.

 

[MD Jazz]

Good point, I'll shut up now.

I didn't mean it like that. Sometimes they make them too tricked up (some US open rough) that punish pretty good shots that is just stupid.

Personally would love to play some of the courses exactly how they set them up for the majors to see just how far off those guys I am/how good they are. Not sure I would break 90 on the course they just played.

Just saw this, no love lost here!

Unscripted TV moment exposes ugly feud

Leaked footage of Brooks Koepka’s candid reaction to rival Bryson DeChambeau during an interview has gone viral on social media.

www.news.com.au

 

[Redford]

BDC = preppy, old money, whiney wanker. Never plays a bad shot. Always something or someone else’s fault.

Koepka = surly bogan who can barely raise a smile at anything.

Red or black on the roulette wheel of ego and unlikeability.

 

[Mr Brightside]

There's enough bland tournaments already with guys shooting 20+ under. To me it's a bit like the AFL and their obsession with scoring. Higher scores in footy/lower scores in golf isn't necessarily better. I like to see them tested.

I reckon you know how much better the pros are when clubs have guys off +5 handicaps who barely make a cent on the pro-am or Australasian tour and are way off the touring pros.

Not saying the new handicap system is good or bad , however it is incomparable to the old. I think I said earlier on this thread that there’s about 5 shots different imho . I know of 2 guys who both played Eisenhower cup , both played in majors and plus 1 would have been the lowest either one achieved before turning pro. One massive difference in ”true” low handicaps is the player that just plays at his home club and a player who plays state amateur tournaments, if they are the same handicap, the ”homey” is 5 shots lesser player.

On what a good player would shot around a major set up course , I highly doubt your standard 4 marker would break the ton from what I’ve been told by players who have played in them .best way to describe it, is to take a sand belt green and surround it with thick rough and a tight rock hard fairway.

Tried out the Taylor Sim driver with some ridiculously stiff shaft in it , kept hitting these powder puff fades , was thinking it was a bit meh , then put one to the 150 metre mark on a 480 metre par 5 ( no wind assistance Rudeford) very much likened it to the old persimmon woods , when you nut it , it goes real well, when you don’t it’s just a club. Got a Ping G425 lst on the way , if it dosent live up to its reputation, I’m going back to the TM sim and playing the powderpuff fairway finder .

Off to Barnbougle next month on there winter package , haven’t played there since it first opened , looking forward to seeing the 2 new courses , though I’m told Kings islands / Cape Wickham are better again

 

[Mr Brightside]

BDC = preppy, old money, whiney wanker. Never plays a bad shot. Always something or someone else’s fault.

Koepka = surly bogan who can barely raise a smile at anything.

Red or black on the roulette wheel of ego and unlikeability.

intrest couple of players to watch going forward , either one could end up with 10 majors or never win another.

BDC has to be the most painful golfer to watch , no wonder Faldo hates him

 

[Mr Brightside]

Agreed, I didn't play much golf for quite a few years and since coming back that's a big thing I've noticed.

Your handicap used to be more like your best score, you'd cop a whack for a good round and then only go out .1 for each round over the CCR. You could do a couple of shots on a good round and be 6 months or more going back.

Combine that with the club and ball technology, ability to measure distance exactly with range finders, tendency for courses to clear lots of low branches and scrub under the guise of 'speeding up play', and the general improvement in agronomy and I'd argue everyone is playing off 5 or more shots less than they would have 20 years ago.

A 4 handicapper used to be a gun, now you have blokes like me who are 8 markers on a good day getting to 1 or 2.

The clearing of scrub is a very good point , go back 30 years and you couldn’t miss a fairway on the sand belt without having to take a drop or chip out backwards if you found your ball, yep in the attempt to speed up play we’ve chainsawed so many courses , different topic but best way to fix slow play is don’t let local golfers watch the PGA tour .

Pretty sure when I played PK the other week that the trainee was on +6 or 7 , geez if your an old +6er you don’t bother with a trainee ship to learn how to sell Mars bars . I think John Wade used to be on about +6 at Vic many years back, state player who did ok in Europe I think, for memory Vic had a crazy ACR something around 75or 76 I think

 

[angle ankle]

Agreed, I didn't play much golf for quite a few years and since coming back that's a big thing I've noticed.

Your handicap used to be more like your best score, you'd cop a whack for a good round and then only go out .1 for each round over the CCR. You could do a couple of shots on a good round and be 6 months or more going back.

Combine that with the club and ball technology, ability to measure distance exactly with range finders, tendency for courses to clear lots of low branches and scrub under the guise of 'speeding up play', and the general improvement in agronomy and I'd argue everyone is playing off 5 or more shots less than they would have 20 years ago.

A 4 handicapper used to be a gun, now you have blokes like me who are 8 markers on a good day getting to 1 or 2.

i wondered where u were going with that

 

[Redford]

The “new” course and slope rating handicap system, used and forced upon the rest of the world by the USGA, of which I’m a member ( yes it’s all my fault), is absolute *smile*. A typically over engineered and confusing American application that fails on the practicality test. Miserably.

What is now a 2 handicap golfer used to be, a 5 handicapper under the old and better R&A system. I’ve just started playing comp golf again after a long lay off and I’m shocked at what some people are playing off.

I guess it’s all relevant, but anyway I’m hearing rumours of the R&A moving back to their old system despite the agreed WHS. I hope so.

 

[Redford]

The clearing of scrub is a very good point , go back 30 years and you couldn’t miss a fairway on the sand belt without having to take a drop or chip out backwards if you found your ball, yep in the attempt to speed up play we’ve chainsawed so many courses , different topic but best way to fix slow play is don’t let local golfers watch the PGA tour .

Pretty sure when I played PK the other week that the trainee was on +6 or 7 , geez if your an old +6er you don’t bother with a trainee ship to learn how to sell Mars bars . I think John Wade used to be on about +6 at Vic many years back, state player who did ok in Europe I think, for memory Vic had a crazy ACR something around 75or 76 I think

Big Tiges fan too John.

 

[Mr Brightside]

The “new” course and slope rating handicap system, used and forced upon the rest of the world by the USGA, of which I’m a member ( yes it’s all my fault), is absolute *smile*. A typically over engineered and confusing American application that fails on the practicality test. Miserably.

What is now a 2 handicap golfer used to be, a 5 handicapper under the old and better R&A system. I’ve just started playing comp golf again after a long lay off and I’m shocked at what some people are playing off.

I guess it’s all relevant, but anyway I’m hearing rumours of the R&A moving back to their old system despite the agreed WHS. I hope so.

From what I can gather it really favours the inconsitent golfer if the want to achieve a lower handicap