2020 Golf Thread

Zomp

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My dad echoed the same thing, so I bought one as well. Haven't played a ton but it was comfortable and has held up as well as the more well known brands. Biggest issue is figuring out the fit without trying it on first but it's great.
If it helps anyone, for me its the same fit as the Titleist glove.
 

TFP

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Maryland opening golf courses tomorrow. Massachusetts stands alone!
 

TFP

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Wachusett just sent out an email saying they’re opening Friday.
 

Over Guapo Grande

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My brother just booked time at Kettlebrook on Saturday... not sure if this / Wach are the same thing linked about 20 posts ago, opening in defiance of the state order.
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
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Just got an email from my course saying a reopening announcement is likely within the next day or two. Everyone required to have a tee time. "Severe" restriction to the number of golfers playing each hour is expected. Basically, golf is coming back but the state is micro managing.

Edit: also probably why the Kettle Brook/Wachusett owner backed down on opening today. Likely was told courses were opening within a couple days and not worth the newsworthy kerfuffle.
 
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Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
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Awesome. 15 minutes between tee times is completely arbitrary (let's pick a round number that fits within an hour but not 10 minutes or 12 minutes!) but whatever for now, we're back in business. I think the ban on carts is going to suppress the number of golfers who can play anyway. Older ones at least. I know my dad can't handle even the front 9 without a cart at this point since his knees are shot. Push carts are going to be sold out everywhere quickly.
 

steveluck7

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May 10, 2007
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I thought 15 minutes was kind of arbitrary as well until we played yesterday. 4-some, all mid teens to low 20's handicaps, all walking (obviously). We were basically 15 minutes per hole right on the nose, including the sometimes long walk between holes.
We had a two-some behind us and they didn't catch up until the 15th hole
 

TFP

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Yeah it's definitely meant to be conservative to avoid backups on tee boxes, keep round times down, etc. Honestly, walking only with 15 min tee times could end up changing a lot of people's opinions on golf (for the better). Sounds like a dream way to play, assuming you're able to walk that much of course.
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
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Feb 22, 2004
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I thought 15 minutes was kind of arbitrary as well until we played yesterday. 4-some, all mid teens to low 20's handicaps, all walking (obviously). We were basically 15 minutes per hole right on the nose, including the sometimes long walk between holes.
We had a two-some behind us and they didn't catch up until the 15th hole
Right, and there are normally courses with tiny gaps between tee times and horrible pace of play problems since you can have a couple groups on each hole. I'm not exactly inclined to be blasting through a round as quickly as possible right now either, and I'm sure others are going to want to relish their time out there.

I've been trying to get through to my club the past half hour without success. Hopefully I can get a slot this afternoon or tomorrow.
 

Light-Tower-Power

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Congrats! The 15 minute tee times are awesome. It’s like you have the whole course to yourself. NH is doing 12 minute tee times I think.
 

Doug Beerabelli

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Did Baker get cut from his high school golf team?

I've loved the expanded time between tee times. We started at 20 minutes, and then as demand kicked up, 15 minutes, with 12 on weekends. Generally it's worked well, and I've experienced minimal waiting on holes.

Last weekend the course had 170 golfers via tee times on Saturday, 200 plus on Sunday. Weekdays also highly booked when weather has been nice.
 

kenneycb

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10 minutes is generally an okay break in normal times with carts, no restrictions, etc. but can get clogged up. 12 or 15 minutes is the ideal gap IMO so, with everyone walking, it will be more than enough time. I used to work in the pro shop in HS and college at a course that did 8 minute tee times. Ah, the memories of mid-40s+ white guys yelling at me for pace of play issues on busy weekends.
 

Deathofthebambino

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So fucking excited, playing at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow (standard Friday afternoon match with lots of gambling), 7:30 a.m. on Sunday (with our usual robin) and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday (playing with my 12 year old, so not really a full round, just hacking around).

No carts sucks though. It's hard to drink, have a cigarette and carry a golf bag. And my back is shot, but whatever, I can't fucking wait. The emails and texts from the members today is almost like Xmas morning for 40+ year old men. The entire tee sheet for tomorrow was full in about 10 minutes. Saturday looks like a wash out/snowstorm, so I didn't bother signing up.
 

Phragle

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So fucking excited, playing at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow (standard Friday afternoon match with lots of gambling), 7:30 a.m. on Sunday (with our usual robin) and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday (playing with my 12 year old, so not really a full round, just hacking around).

No carts sucks though. It's hard to drink, have a cigarette and carry a golf bag. And my back is shot, but whatever, I can't fucking wait. The emails and texts from the members today is almost like Xmas morning for 40+ year old men. The entire tee sheet for tomorrow was full in about 10 minutes. Saturday looks like a wash out/snowstorm, so I didn't bother signing up.
I am way more excited than Christmas
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
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Feb 22, 2004
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So fucking excited, playing at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow (standard Friday afternoon match with lots of gambling), 7:30 a.m. on Sunday (with our usual robin) and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday (playing with my 12 year old, so not really a full round, just hacking around).

No carts sucks though. It's hard to drink, have a cigarette and carry a golf bag. And my back is shot, but whatever, I can't fucking wait. The emails and texts from the members today is almost like Xmas morning for 40+ year old men. The entire tee sheet for tomorrow was full in about 10 minutes. Saturday looks like a wash out/snowstorm, so I didn't bother signing up.
Grab some of the Coors bottles with the screw on cap. They play nicely with carry bags. Or go with a flask and something nicer. Be creative and express yourself!
 

Deathofthebambino

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Grab some of the Coors bottles with the screw on cap. They play nicely with carry bags. Or go with a flask and something nicer. Be creative and express yourself!
Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's just going to be a bottle of Macallan 12 in the water bottle holder of my bag. No need for a flask. They aren't big enough.
 

TFP

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So fucking excited, playing at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow (standard Friday afternoon match with lots of gambling), 7:30 a.m. on Sunday (with our usual robin) and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday (playing with my 12 year old, so not really a full round, just hacking around).

No carts sucks though. It's hard to drink, have a cigarette and carry a golf bag. And my back is shot, but whatever, I can't fucking wait. The emails and texts from the members today is almost like Xmas morning for 40+ year old men. The entire tee sheet for tomorrow was full in about 10 minutes. Saturday looks like a wash out/snowstorm, so I didn't bother signing up.
I've got Juniper tomorrow (blech), Wachusett Saturday (weather pending), Highfields Sunday. My legs will be shot by Sunday night.
 

jercra

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Jul 31, 2006
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Awesome. 15 minutes between tee times is completely arbitrary (let's pick a round number that fits within an hour but not 10 minutes or 12 minutes!) but whatever for now, we're back in business. I think the ban on carts is going to suppress the number of golfers who can play anyway. Older ones at least. I know my dad can't handle even the front 9 without a cart at this point since his knees are shot. Push carts are going to be sold out everywhere quickly.
Hah, push carts have been sold out nationwide for weeks now. If you want one, it seems the only way to get one is to call clubhouses until you find one that has them in stock. With all the clubs being closed, they're the only one's who haven't been able to sell out.

FYI, drinking and smoking during all of this walking only phase of play has not been an issue and you'll all manage to get as drunk and high as you ever did before. Good luck out there.
 

Zomp

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My new irons are supposedly coming in tomorrow. That's a pretty impressive turnaround for customer spec'd clubs. I ordered them on Friday.

I'm not holding my breath though. Almost every set of irons I've ever owned had something go wrong with them.

1. 14 years old, and my dad and I get fit for clubs. The fitter orders the my dad's specs on my irons and vice versa. Clubs are delayed a few months.
2. 16 year old me gets a brand new set of Titleist 990's and flies down to the World Golf Village with my dad. Clubs were stolen by someone at baggage claim during our layover in Dulles. Never recovered.
3. 2013 I get fitted for Wilson FG Tour V2 irons. Take a month to come in, and the club fitter ordered Callaway's by mistake. Had to wait another month to come in.

So lets see if these are on time...
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

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Hah, push carts have been sold out nationwide for weeks now. If you want one, it seems the only way to get one is to call clubhouses until you find one that has them in stock. With all the clubs being closed, they're the only one's who haven't been able to sell out.

FYI, drinking and smoking during all of this walking only phase of play has not been an issue and you'll all manage to get as drunk and high as you ever did before. Good luck out there.
I was desperately trying to find a pull cart online and it was impossible unless I wanted to spend $1000+. My very resourceful daughter found one for me by posting a request on our town's FB virtual garage sale site. Someone had one in the back of their garage and gave it to me(her) for free.

And so I played my first round yesterday. With the 15 minutes between tee times and twosomes, we played in just over 3 1/2 hours. It was so great to get out. I played shocking well for the first 10 holes(+3) and then crashed back down to earth hard for the final 8(+11).
 

TFP

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If you need a push cart, FB marketplace is 100% the place to look right now.
 

Zomp

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My new irons are supposedly coming in tomorrow. That's a pretty impressive turnaround for customer spec'd clubs. I ordered them on Friday.

I'm not holding my breath though. Almost every set of irons I've ever owned had something go wrong with them.

1. 14 years old, and my dad and I get fit for clubs. The fitter orders the my dad's specs on my irons and vice versa. Clubs are delayed a few months.
2. 16 year old me gets a brand new set of Titleist 990's and flies down to the World Golf Village with my dad. Clubs were stolen by someone at baggage claim during our layover in Dulles. Never recovered.
3. 2013 I get fitted for Wilson FG Tour V2 irons. Take a month to come in, and the club fitter ordered Callaway's by mistake. Had to wait another month to come in.

So lets see if these are on time...

UPS sent me an email this morning. The truck had a mechanical failure and the shipment is delayed til Monday.
 

bostonbeerbelly

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11AM tee time today and 1PM on Monday. Saturday looks like a wash and Sunday is my wife's first Mother's Day as a mother...so yeah not even trying on that one.
 

Over Guapo Grande

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I happened to cash in work reward points back in the beginning of March for a push cart... best money that I never spent. I am glad that I am not having to shop for one now.
 

Deathofthebambino

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I carried a bag for 18 holes yesterday for the first time in my life. Shit, I can't even remember the last time I walked a course, but I'm 99% sure it definitely involved a caddie. I feel like i was run over by a truck today, but it was oh so worth it. Played a decent front 9, but ended up shooting 88 after I hit a wall on holes 11-16 (coincidentally, 10-12 are all dreadfully up hill) and took doubles on all of them. Couldn't dial in my yardages on the irons, wind was whipping too, and I 3 putted a few holes because I kept saying to myself "All you got to do is hit the hole, so don't be short."

Playing tomorrow morning and then going back out with my son in the afternoon. He's already begging to play at least 9 holes. I did get a push cart today from a friend that had an extra one, so hopefully, it won';t be so bad.

My wife's exact words on Friday were "You should play as much possible before they shut everything down again..." So there's that, and she's psyched about me getting my son off his X Box at least a couple times a week. I plan to extract as much out of her directions as I possibly can.
 
His Boris-ness announced yesterday that golf courses in England are allowed to reopen starting on Wednesday, but that you can only play either as a single or in a twosome with someone living in your household. Nicola Sturgeon has not yet followed suit in approving courses to reopen in Scotland, though, so I'm still stuck at home...although if we remain shut for a while, the delightful links at Goswick is only about 40 minutes from where I live, so I might be tempted to cross the border and get a game there.

As someone who plays much of my golf on my own, the idea of being able to play as a single and not be held up by anyone on the course sounds pretty delightful to me. I very much enjoy the social aspect of golf, but it isn't necessary for me to enjoy the game; I'd be surprised if that were true for the majority of members at my club, though, or indeed most clubs. So I wonder how desperate people might be to get back on the course if they really are restricted from playing with their mates. (Or indeed if that restriction might ultimately be observed in the breach...)
 

PedroSpecialK

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Dec 12, 2004
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Wasn't able to play this weekend, but two hooky rounds (Tuesday AM at Brookmeadow, Thursday PM at Cyprian) and a Saturday round are in the cards. Can't wait
 

ezemerson

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Jan 19, 2013
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was supposed to play this afternoon (first of of NH being open) but had to postpone to Wednesday due to rain - couple more days for me to stretch before the first round of the year
 

Over Guapo Grande

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A 3 day window to make tee time reservations will serve me and my insomnia well. Up at 4:30AM? 3 days later is wide open!. Wait until 9AM? All booked.

I'll probably start out with a few hooky 9's. Take the AM off, play, 9 then wfh the rest of the day. I'll likely be playing those early rounds with OGG Sr, who can still bomb it at 70something. He doesn't have any documented issue that would force him to ride, just age, catcher's knees, and a balky back. So 18 walking is out of the question to start. I'll even let him use my pushcart, at a rate of $1/hole.