Reentering the world of the frustrating little white ball...
 

And I'm not talking about ping-pong.

I pretty much quit playing golf after my daughter was born about 12 years ago, right after I had a set of clubs fitted for me (Taylormade knockoffs). Now, my kids think they want lessons and my wife has been approached by a friend about joining a local country club (the price is right).

I'm thinking about getting a different set of clubs, something designed for medium to high handicap. I know past of my budget ought to go towards lessons. Part of my thought process for getting clubs also is pretty superficial - if I'm going to be playing at a CC, I don't want to have some sucky knock-offs. I remember being the kid with the shoes that looked like the good shoes, and the ribbing I got as a kid, so under these circumstances, getting a decent set of clubs might be a good idea (yeah, I know the status-symbol thing is stupid, but I didn't say I was going to get the most expensive set I could find).

I know the Callaway Big Bertha irons might not be too bad of a choice, but I'd appreciate some suggestions.

Go to globalgolf.com and check out their bargain barrel. I've had two friends who were total golf n00bs that I got completely outfitted (including a bag and shoes) with name brand equipment in excellent shape for less than 300 bucks.

Pm Herzig. He usually has 3 or 4 sets in his garage and he knows what is hot (and cheap) right now.

I have a little poem I'd like to read in honor of this occasion, if I may. Spaulding, get your foot off the boat! :"It's easy to grin / when your ship comes in / and you've got the stock market beat. / But the man worthwhile / is the man who can smile / when his shorts are too tight in the seat"...ah-ha-ha-ha. OK, Pookie, do the honors.

Well, I've got that going for me...which is nice.

If I were you:

For your irons, get a used set of Ping Eye 2s. They are the best irons ever made. You can use Ping's static fitting tool at pinggolf.com to give you an idea of the color code of irons you would need.

These will run you 150-200 dollars

For woods, look at some that are a couple of generations old, as the increase in technology in drivers plateaued in about 2005-06. Any model designed thereafter is going to offer you the same type of benefits.

Taylor Made's Burner Series are cheaper and easier to find use, and Callaway's BB Series (not the FT) will be easy to find at a reasonable price.

I'd shy away from Titleist (too hard to hit), even though the second hand market is flooded.

Your wedges will also be very important, but what is best for you depends on the kind of course you play. Given that you are a high handicapper, you'll want a SW with a lot of bounce for bunker shots, but that same wedge will be very hard for you to hit from the fairway without blading it. Turf conditions of the course also play a big factor into your decisions.

Putters are personal preference. A lot of people still swear by the Odyssey Two Ball Series or the Ping Anser and its related clone designs.

I'm about to go deep into Golf myself, I'll check this out.

I'm looking on Pinggolf.com, and kind find anything about the different colors of Eye2s. I'm looking at some used ones now, and don't know what the colors are about.

A buddy of mine sent this site to me. One of his coworkers ordered a Callaway driver and some Pro-V's. Apparently the Callaway looks and hits flawless, but he could tell that the Pro-V's were cheap knockoffs.

My buddy decided the risk was worth it and ordered a full set of Nike's (1,3,5W 3-9I, SW, PW, P & bag) for like $270. They haven't come in yet.

I'm not sure if I'd take the chance or not. I have a pair of Tommy Armour 345's that I've been playing with for 10 years now, so I'm past due for a new set.

i'd worry more about your swing and technique than the brand of clubs.

you talk about getting mocked for having knockoffs, but i can tell you that it's just as funny to see a total hacker sporting a nice set of sticks.

IDK what your budget is but I love my TaylorMade R7 XD Irons. Some of the best irons Ive ever played with.

The color code is a system that tells you what lie angle the club should be at.

Generally, taller golfers, and those who fight a fade need a more upright lie angle on the club (the toe of the club raising off the ground more)

Shorter golfers and those who hook the ball need a flatter angle.

This is not a universal system. YMMV, but it is a good idea of getting clubs that fit better than merely off the rack sets.

98% of people will fall in this range

Orange-2* flat
Red-1* flat
Black-standard
Blue-1* upright
Green 2* upright
White-3* upright.

Maroon, gold, (flat) and silver (upright) are the really whacky codes.

I used to shoot low-80's before I tore up my right knee, so I'm not a total hacker on the golf course. These days, when I've gone out, I've shot mid-90's, so I haven't completely lost control of my body mechanics.

I started playing golf two years ago. My golf score is still higher than my bowling score. And I'm not a bad bowler.

Most of my supplies that I don't buy from my pro I get at tgw.com. You can get a new set of Taylor Mades right now for about $350.

the equipment costs a s**tload, the rounds cost a s**tload.

no wonder i started playing disc golf instead. now i just have to figure out what to do w/ the small fortune in clubs i have in my garage.

i looked at that stuff the other day and then i looked at the piles of disc golf discs in the other corner and i calculated that all of my spare discs cost about as much as my wedges and my bag.

I play and enjoy graphite Nike Sling shots(stiff). Try'em out. Also try out the hybrid clubs. Adams make nice hybrids, Nike, and Calloway does as well. It sounds like you aren't looking for blades, but for wedges I prefer the Cleveland CG14's and 10's.

Callaway Big Berthas would also be an easy club to hit, and find.

I use ebay alot, and www.golfwrx.com (they have a selling forum)

I have a gently used set of Ping I3 O-size for sale if anyone is interested. One of the best game-improvement irons Ping has ever made, IMO.

Black dot, stiff steel shafts. 3-PW.

????

Don't throw your clubs and you won't have to worry about trying to FIND them.




:)

I absolutely love my Taylor Made R7 Driver. In fact I love it so much I looked and looked until I found a matching R7 titanium 3 wood to go with it.

As for Irons, I have a set of Ping Zing knockoffs that a pro-shop guy told me were some of the best Zing knockoffs he'd seen. They hit great for me so there is no reason at all for me to change. They are a 1-LW that a guy with my same build and reach had custome made for him so they fit me really well. However, the Taylormade Irons have tempted me from time to time, I just haven't been tempted enough yet to actually buy a set.

I've hit a friends and they do carry further than mine, but aren't much more forgiving than mine.

This would be a great set for you.

Why not head out to Golf Discount, or some similar place, and try out some possible club choices at their indoor range? It'll give you a chance to size gloves and show options as well.

Last year I asked my coworkers were to pick up a set up of clubs and they all recommended

http://www.rockbottomgolf.com/

They also sell on ebay.

Thanks for that link, morphius. I'm eyeballin' the Callaway Big Bertha '06 iron set, and that site has 'em for 70 bucks less than every other site I've seen.

No problem, I picked up some irons off of there as everyone was sending me there. I still am playing with borrowed woods, but if I don't get laid off this year I might get to upgrade.

Ugh a few years ago I had JUST picked my first new set of clubs, Ping G5's so on the 7th 8th hole my buddy asks to "try" one out. Yea the ass not only splashed his ball in the pond my brand new club followed!!?!?!? :cuss: To this day I have no idea how someone can do this. :shake:

So, I take it there was a third splash?

No, he actually was going to try to dive in and find the club. I let him take off his shoes and socks off and put his feet in that nast shit before I told him not to worry just to buy me another when he could. But damn the wife was pissed.

i also own these. They are awesome. I have the R7 460 driver with a x-stiff shaft and a dual rescue #2 with the same shaft. Don't buy a putter until you hit a Rossa either...

i usually pay $25 or under for 18 and a cart.

Damn you lol.

Had never heard of this site...just checked it out and I'm already hooked. Just ordered a left Callaway GBB driver for $10. My girlfriend is going to kill me with the amounts of money I'll be spending on this site.

Good lookin out.

Are you a lefty?

Clearance sale through 3/1 - worth a look.

http://www.golfsmith.com/ps/index.php?tcode=cj

I have bought tons of clubs from rockbottom, very good to deal with, another is http://www.3balls.com/

Yup.

same as i paid, usually $30 or under with a cart.

but guess what i pay to play disc golf?

$0

the price is right.

If the club slipped I could understand though I would expect him to go in after it.

If he THREW the club after the hit, I'd throw him in after it and he'd never touch another club in my bag.

I thought this was going to be a cocaine addiction thread.

If you ever need anything, you might shoot me a PM or post it in the Bushwood thread, as I am a lefty also, and seem to always have a lot of extras laying around.

I'm getting a new bag this year. I'm tired of my clubs "sticking together" making for a hard time getting them out/in. Any suggestions on a good bag that works both on a cart and walking?






PS....I've got Callaway Fusion.....Driver through PW. Love them.

Sun Mountain bags, FTW.

Golf is like a sadist girlfriend - she'll rip your balls up, but you keep coming back for more. I'm the perfect shotgun partner - I can crush off the tee, then stumble my way through the rest. Case in point - I usually can drive a 300 yard green, then end up with a bogey+ due to my inept chipping/putting.

I ****ing love this bitch game.


You must play in Plattsburg.

Get a job, you damned dirty hippie.

Work well on a cart as well?

I'm looking at their site now.....look pretty nice.

Speaking of all this, anyone have good leads/ideas on lessons? I figure if I'm going to drop the coin I do playing golf, I really should be a little better at it, you know?

I could never get into golf seriously. It's occasionally fun when your drinking beers and not keeping score in a bachelor party atmosphere but every time I'd try to play seriously I kept thinking - ya know, I could be fly fishing.

:D

Tough frustrating game though, kudos for trying to master.

Found one that might work.....


http://www.sunmountain.com/default.p...3469_3476_3396

http://www.sunmountain.com/images/901002.JPG

Depends entirely on where you live. Go by word of mouth. A lot of pros are pretty dumb though. They offer cookie cutter advice. There are some good ones out there, but you'll have to do your due diligence.

I have a 3.5 lb. SM that I put on a cart when I ride. It'll be a hell of a lot easier to walk with than that guy.

Yeah, that's the rub. I'm north of the river, and thought about looking into Shoal Creek. I guess I was fishing to see if anyone has actually taken lessons up here.

My PIL's run a golf tour for Jr.s out of KC.

I could ask them about good pros in the Northland, at places like Clay Crest, Hodge, Smithville, Liberty Hills, etc.. When I lived in KC, I used to play at Hodge and Swope. Shoal Creek was too expensive relative to the quality of the course for me.


I'll get back to you on that.

I just looked at the description of it again because I swore it said it only weighed 4.5 lbs.....and there is no weight listed - which more than likely means it weighs more than I want to carry for 9-18 holes.

I have a cart bag Callaway 10.5, then a Titleist stand bag for walking, the walking bag is hardly ever used.

ogio makes some cool bags as well, if you like all the club separators

I'm debating on just doing a cart bag because 95% of the time I ride.

Appreciate that.

Shoal is great aesthetically, but you're ****ed if you don't hit absolutley straight.

I had a buddy lose a golf cart at Swope down one of those hills while he was playing grab ass with the beer girl (forgot the brake). Took him awhile to pull it out of the woods, heh.

I like <a href="http://www.ogio.com/products.php?category=23">Ogio</a> bags...

Jesus.

At what point will people realize that cart girls are just like strippers or bar tenders. You aren't going home with them.

:shake:

Not my cart girl....she loves me. She's ALWAYS there when I need a beer, so I give her good tips. One day....I'll nail her...I swear. :D

Have you ever played at Swope?

No. But if the cart girl is good enough to run a guy off the road, I'm going to. I'll nail her someday too.

On bags...

Do you all realize how hard it is anymore to find a lightweight bag that doesn't have those foldout legs?

I try to walk 9 holes at least once a week for excercise, try to do it twice a week normally. I have a pull cart and ALL of those bags with the legs have that hinge plate on the bottom in the same place it has to rest on my cart (and most carts I've looket at). Do you know how irritating it is to be pulling the cart, hit a bump and have the bag slide and legs fold out?

Standard bags for riding carts tend to be way too big and heavy.

Sweet, I'll def. do that. If you ever want to get rid of anything or whatever, holler at me...I'm constantly tinkering with equipment, taking on clubs, etc. lol. It's almost ridiculous at times. :D

Hehe I have a good friend thats a bar tender that works the GC on the weekend, she makes so much $$$ is crazy.

i'm not much of a hippie anymore.

just got sick of paying exorbitant green fees.

besides, when i play disc golf, i can bring any cooler on the course that i want and i can fill it with beer brought from a store at fair price, compared to the "bend over and give me your wallet" routine when you buy beer at a pro shop.

Ya.....but you got to carry the cooler.....when they come up with disc golf carts, I'll play. :D

i hear the "no carts" argument quite a bit. no arguing there.

but when it comes to carrying the cooler, well, let's just say that through the years KC disc golfers have discovered ways to have beers waiting at every hole waiting with a bare minimum amount of walking.

kcfish would know all about this. he plays swope park league with me quite a bit during the year and he can attest to the "cooler route". while walking 18 holes, you may drag the cooler a grand total of 500-700 feet. it works quite well. you're never more than a hole or two away from a nice cold one.

Trust me. I know. I used to disc golf all the time. But, took up golf and became lazy with the cart.

Disc golf is for people that can't play real golf :D we wouldn't even let you on :D

This thread inspired me. Going to the range today, to the course in three weeks.

whatever you say man :D

i played "white ball" golf for probably 15 years before i transitioned to disc golf.

i just have more fun with the discs.

Decisions have been made.

From my old bag, I decided to hand on to my Cleveland 50 degree wedge and my Taylormade putter.

New clubs:
Ping G5 Irons 4-PW
Callaway Hyper-X Driver, 3, 3H Utility Wood

Good call on the G5's.

My custom G5's from Ping should be here today or tomorrow.

On the Callaway Driver, I went 10 degree. Kyle recommended that driver considering that I'd be doing most of my playing in Kansas. Might have to take the sticks with me to Hawaii in June, though.

My Ping G2 driver is a 10* as well, but the shaft I have in it produces a bit lower ball flight, which is best for my game.

Hope you enjoy the new sticks.

Keep it in the short grass.

He put me in the cage, and with my time away from the game, I was surprised how well I hit the ball, especially the irons. I know I'm never going to hit the driver like my younger brothers (6'5" & 6'7" - I've seen them both drive greens on 385 yd. par 4's), but I'll be happy if I can poke the ball out halfway on par 5's. With my kids showing an interest in the game, it'll make for a good family activity.

I have a 10* G2 with a V2 Stiff in it.

It'd be hilarious if we had the same club/shaft combo.

Aldila NV-S.

.350 tip.

Produces a nice, boring ball flight for me.

I actually took an inch off my driver, and I've only lost maybe 5 yards in distance on average, but my shot dispersion is highly improved.

I went from not knowing where the ball was going most of the time, to 75%+ of my drives being within 15 yards either side of my target line.

I have no doubt I'll post a career low this season.

no, i use teequest. I play where i can get a deal. My favorite place, even though the drive is crazy, is country creek in pleasant hill. Nice places (3 courses) and the people there are cool.