Random Golf Thoughts

The Big Easy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278632#Comment_121278632

That can't be right, can it?

We regularly have one or more bunkers out of play and I'm pretty sure some/most of those rounds have still been counting.

In our place I think it's only non-counting if most/all bunkers are out of play.

Non-counting because of one bunker being out of play seems bizarre though

paulos53

Under WHS, clubs are allowed to have qualifying rounds if all bunkers are out of play.

The Big Easy

https://www.randa.org/en/roh/the-rules-of-handicapping/rule-2

Just looking it up there and any scores outside of the course's "active season" cannot count for handicapping purposes.

Clears one thing up I suppose.

Nothing specific about bunkers though, only "normal playing difficulty", which seems open to interpretation.

paulos53

Just reading into it a bit more, a qualifying round can takes place if bunkers are GUR due to flooding. Strictly speaking this wouldn't cover bunker renovations but it seems harsh to make it non-qualifying for this.

Edit: Link to Golf Ireland's guidance on qualifying rounds during the winter

https://static.clubhouse.golfireland.ie/clubs/1000/uploads/files/golf%20ireland%20winter%20golf%20guidelines%20oct%202022.pdf

PARlance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278723#Comment_121278723

In his case, he was told that it was non-counting because of that one bunker... He did question it and the comp sec was adamant.

I suppose if even one person was to land in that one bunker, the rest of the field would be at a disadvantage / or it could skew things.

It's probably only as bizarre as having it counting if most bunkers were out of play seeing that they make up a big challenge of most courses / are weighted highly in course ratings etc.

The Big Easy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278778#Comment_121278778

That's interesting, our Captain's qualifier was non-counting this year due to all the bunkers being out of play.

I'd be single figures without bunkers!

PARlance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278778#Comment_121278778

You would think that a bunker being renovated was more of a case of Ground Under Repair than a flooded bunker would be.

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278559#Comment_121278559

Clubs have the control to turn on or off the ability to register scores in the app. If it is placing everywhere they should have it turned off.

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121278632#Comment_121278632

That is a load of bollox

he should take that up with Golf Ireland.

but not sure I agree with @paulos53 but in fairness he has backed it up with the GI memo.

We had a non qualifier a good few weeks back purely because all bunkers were out of play due to heavy rain the night before. Pro seemed to know the old rule was if more than a ⅓ or ¼ bunkers were out of play then non qualifying would kick in but wasn’t up to speed on the new WHS rules. it was let run as if it would be qualifying and they would check it out with GI and it was non qualifying in the end

it doesn’t seem right that a round can be qualifying if bunkers are all out of play, but logically if there are a couple out it really should be fine. Courses are never the same, pins and tee markers changed, shortened and lengthened within the parameters allowed so the odd bunker being out of play should be ok

paulos53

@Seve OB I don't necessarily agree with my previous statement either. Just guessing how some people might interpret the Golf Ireland guidelines. My own club has had a couple of bunkers GUR for the entire year and there has been no issue with running qualifying competitions.

I had a look at the equivalent guideline on the England Golf website and they explicitly include maintenance work as a valid reason for taking bunkers out of play and still allowing qualifying rounds.

It really is something that should be defined by WHS instead of allowing each national association to come up with their own rules.

billy3sheets

A Committee can choose to treat certain bunkers as ground under repair in the general area so that free relief is allowed outside the bunker.The Committee should only use this Local Rule for specifically identified bunkers and is not authorized to make a Local Rule providing generally that all bunkers filled with temporary water are ground under repair.

Model Local Rule F-16.

My interpretation of this is that if all bunkers are ruled as out of play(GUR), then the competition cannot be qualifying. Otherwise it can.

Mantis Toboggan

Anyone endure the Netflix cup yet?

Sorbet

Tried but couldn’t stick more than 15 minutes. Once they were running down the first I was out….

coillcam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121375713#Comment_121375713

It's much of a parallel to plenty of the YouTube/influencer golf stuff. Aimed more at the young crowd and those sports fans who have limited interest or knowledge in Golf. Some golfers have an interest in this stuff but the general golf fan isn't the target.

Given that F1 is huge globally and had a massive uptick in interest over recent years, it's a fairly obvious strategic partnership for targetting a big demographic.

slave1

Decent price ProV1X if you have AMZ Prime…

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09Q769FLF?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=pepperegc22-21&ascsubtag=2604378734

blue note

I watched a bit of the netflix thing. While I thought it was awful, there are decent ideas in it. I like throwing on rubbish golfers on youtube, so sticking amateurs on TV isn't a bad thing. They might as well be celebs. The buggies are an excellent idea, you can have only a few people on the course and plenty of shots to play. I liked the long drive comp for a mulligan. The fastest hole was stupid. The presenters were incredibly annoying.

It's not going to take the place of a tournament, but this done well could be more palatable than an insignificant DP / PGA event. Maybe the golf league thing they're doing could be something similar.

They should wear shorts though. Not just on this, on the tours too. It looks stupid seeing lads play in blistering conditions in long pants.

awec

Any recommendations for winter gloves?

Are these sort any use?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Callaway-Thermal-Gloves-Black-Large/dp/B07HJ5DZWX/ref%3Dpd_ci_mcx_mh_mcx_views_0?pd_rd_w=ORqRU&content-id=amzn1.sym.6aea875e-359f-49f3-864f-cff62d586b6a%3Aamzn1.symc.ca948091-a64d-450e-86d7-c161ca33337b&pf_rd_p=6aea875e-359f-49f3-864f-cff62d586b6a&pf_rd_r=GTRYH4794P2X9621V9MS&pd_rd_wg=iapPi&pd_rd_r=a6ebcde6-3b6d-48e1-bc6c-4d92e68edb30&pd_rd_i=B07HJ5DZWX&th=1

Seve OB

i have had UA ones and they were crap

i have Footjoy ones now and they are pretty decent

i I guess everyone’s hands are different though and you just need to make sure they fit you well

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121428037#Comment_121428037

Do you have the fitted type with individual fingers or the bulkier mitten types that I see people wearing?

I wonder how those mitten types work if you interlock your fingers on your grip? Do you just use a different grip in the winter?

Seve OB

I have both

you don’t wear the mittens when hitting shots

although I do recall one time being so cold and miserable they may well have stayed in for a shot or 2 🤣

slave1

Mittens are MUCH better if your hands are damp or wet, getting on and off those other gloves is a nightmare e.g. getting tee out of pocket etc.

Seve OB

But you put the “other gloves” on and leave them on

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121428465#Comment_121428465

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121428517#Comment_121428517

Yea but if they're anything like a normal glove then I struggle getting my hand into my pocket with them on.

Does sound like mitts is the way to go.

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121428533#Comment_121428533

go into a pro shop and mcguirks etc and try them

a proper pair will be tight fitting so no issue getting them into pockets

PARlance

These are the best job for winter golf imo. Got 2 from amazon years ago and they're great, stick one in either pocket and off you go. Probably best if you're using a carry bag I suppose.

Just throwing up a random link as I'm not sure they can be delivered here via amazon anymore :

https://www.mccabespharmacy.com/products/brandwell-powerbank-with-handwarmer-black-xmas-2023-4ecf5dc3388c94c5?gclid=CjwKCAiAvJarBhA1EiwAGgZl0Oqz1fXKqZdCcn1q8naurritRU9RKDpQqvvTxbSY9MGRAcpTZQYXIhoC9mQQAvD_BwE

Kiith

Anyone else caught up in the silly season that is new drivers? Find myself trying to figure out where i'll find 500 odd quid to replace a club that i don't even need to replace 🤣

bobster453

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121596404#Comment_121596404

Buy in haste..regret at leisure comes to mind😂

blue note

I like that one bobster, I'm going to rob it!

I'd say it's hard to buy a bad one nowadays, unless you get something that's totally off the wall. And if your driver is less than 10 years old - you're probably not going to get much added performance from it.

However, new toys are great fun. Go get fitted and spend silly money on it. You might not get value in terms of improved performance, but you might get value in terms of enjoyment. And if that's not the goal you're playing golf for the wrong reasons.

boccy23

Interesting though that all the marketing is around forgiveness, getting it in play and distance/ball speed is a secondary thing now.

benny79

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121596576#Comment_121596576

Thats because they have maxed out that.. As drivers as we all know are restricted. I asked my Pro about a new driver as mine is 5 years old now and I want a new shiny thing he said sort my swing out first and I'll get more distance and wont need one - Kill joy 😂😂😂

boccy23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121596870#Comment_121596870

Yeah, surely the forgiveness is so good now, no matter what swing you put on it, it'll carry 270 and disperse no more than 7 yards. That's what I've seen all over YouTube for the last week!! 😂

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121597039#Comment_121597039

I'm sure I could put the manufacturers and YouTubers claims to the test. 😎

El Guapo!

Ping and Taylormade are plugging the 10k MOI thing like crazy and like they've just broken new ground but it's all marketing. The Ping G400 reached the 10k mark a few years ago.

I watched Rick Shiels reviews yesterday and one thing he said stood out to me. He said the TaylorMade Stealth models over the past couple of years have to be the most UNforgiving drivers that they've ever made. Then he bangs on about how the new Qi10 is so much more forgiving. From memory, I don't think he commented so negatively on the stealth when he initially reviewed them. He likes to claim that he's very neutral and not biased in the slightest, but I don't trust his reviews tbh. He seems to get swept up a bit in the marketing claims.

Realistically I don't think anyone would be seeing much difference changing from last year's model to this year's. Having said that, I really like the look of the new Ping.

Mantis Toboggan

Rick's reviews are generally very good, he was never too hot on the stealth if he didn't hit it out of the middle. You can go back and watch the reviews.

I must stick it on and see what's the latest and greatest this year.

El Guapo!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121598312#Comment_121598312

I still watch his reviews and I do think they are some of the best reviews on YouTube. I just don't think he's as unbiased as he claims.

Kiith

Club Champion seem to have a pretty detailed video on all the models. Certainly more in-depth than others i've seen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuTkMDUtElA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcfN44T4ApQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOimY7V1ogM&

RoadRunner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121598405#Comment_121598405

🤔 can't wait for the- Quantumtitan hyperdrive aeroflextour-X1-promax triple diamond elite 12k moi precision edition. Ever feel like you're being marketed to a little too strongly?

awec

Winter wheels on an electric cart. Worth it or not?

slave1

yes, I added +100% efficiency getting them, no slopping or sliding around which eats batteries and you can send it straight through puddles at short notice

benny79

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121598405#Comment_121598405

I find their content some of the best on You-Tube. I watched Ricks review last night on the new cobras He was wetting himself on the Cobra LS model, it was a good review though. But as a poster said earlier are any of these drivers ground breaking? since they are all restricted. The only driver I have seen in the last 10 years make a bit difference is the Paradym as I had 2 mates get one! yet I went and looked at reviews of them, head to heads etc and at lot of the main You tubers had the Tilteist TSR2 come out on top 🤷‍♂️

Has anyone here who is not a beginner brought a new driver in recent years that was a game changer?

zocklie

Peter finch just shat all over the new Cobra, he was not impressed

benny79

Yet Sheils, Crossfield and club champion all rave about them 😂

bobster453

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121605539#Comment_121605539

Well not new but new for me.Bought Callaway Epic Max at a steal of a price late 23 and now it has tamed me it makes a serious difference to ball flught dispersion and distance.

Played with it at 10.5 changed to 12.5 then to 11.5 degree which is perfect for me.

Reckon it will help me win a few boards outings this year and make me a shoo in for Ryder Jug team😂

Having said that previous driver was an R7 draw 2006 edition.

benny79

I had a R7! first proper driver I ever bought and probably my favourite I ever had! Remember reading magazines at the time and the ping G10 was one of the best! went into a Premier Golf shop in Newbridge at the time picked it up going to the counter it was like €300 my whole starter set cost €400 😂. Pro in the shop stopped me and asked me have I tried it etc I said no but got great reviews in a magazines he laughed. Brought me over to there bay got me hitting loads of different drivers and ended up with the R7. I never even heard of Taylormade! but I was slicing everything with the Ping! To be honest if I had of bought the ping I probably would of never taking to Golf.. So I have a lot to be thankful to him for! Little does he know 😂

Did you get fit for the Epic @bobster453 ?

El Guapo!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121606260#Comment_121606260

I have the same driver. It was a great purchase for me. Before it, I played a TaylorMade M4 and didn't get on with it at all. I'm prone to a slice and the M4 seemed to amplify it, turning a bad slice into a massive banana ball flight.

Bought the Epic Max and the difference is night and day. Much better ball flight. It's not quite as long as the M4 but it still goes a decent distance. It hasn't eliminated the right hand side of the course but even when I do slice it, it's nowhere near as bad. I bought it without ever hitting it which is never a good thing to do, but it worked out very well for me.

bobster453

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121606376#Comment_121606376

Yep first time ever getting fitted.Tried Stealth(just thought it was ugly)Ping G420..i think..(horrible club)

Switched shaft to Regular..ye young lads can keep the S ones

Watch out Boards GOY..I am in your rear view mirror and coming on fast😂

@benny79 I actually still have the R7 and a Burner..along with my sets of Seve..Titlest 775CB..and my current set of Diablo's..golf club hoarder I am..I actually found a few old Balata golf balls in the garage a while back too😂😂

dan_ep82

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121606423#Comment_121606423

I've seen him play with both. I've never seen someone slice a ball as far when he had the M4, genuinely could be 170yds 90° right of target. Now its a push fade that would end up between two adjacent fairways at worst. Maybe on his longest drive he's losing a small few yards but consistency in terms of length is way up.

It's easily the biggest change I've seen from just changing driver.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121607880#Comment_121607880

I tried the Stealth as well when I got fitted, I was hitting it ok but I hated the look and the sound of it. Suppose it's a fairly superficial reason to overlook a club but it bugged me. Even when I hit it right it didn't sound like I'd hit it right.

I ended up with a G430 and I do like the deep ping noise it makes when you hit it right.

And it also helped tame a horrendous slice that I was prone to. I went in thinking I'd need to get the version specifically designed for the slice correction but it turns out I didn't need it, the max version was enough.

blue note

For on course playing lessons - do you need to be a member of the club / pay green fees for it?

spacecoyote

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121699429#Comment_121699429

I wouldn't have thought so, no. You're likely only playing 3 holes or so and with the course pro, so would be covered by the lesson fee i would think