Random Golf Thoughts

Mantis Toboggan

I'd definitely advise hybrid,19 degree. More versatile and easier to hit.

VW 1

I much prefer irons to wood/hybrid type heads off the deck so got a ping 2i in October and enjoying it so far. My set goes to 4i, the fitter had a 3 or 2i option and the 2 was better for the gap I was trying to fill between 3w and 4i.

The Big Easy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121925381#Comment_121925381

I'm similar enough gapping to yourself. I have 20° and 23° hybrid and an 18° 5 wood.

The 23 goes about 190 and the 20 200 or so. The 5 wood is probably the easiest club to hit/launch in the bag, it's the only regular shafted club I have so maybe that contributes, don't have as much control with it however and lose the odd one OB in high winds.

I mostly keep the 5 wood in the bag over the 20° hybrid, the 5 wood is a 210/220 club. I'm on the lookout for a stiff 5 wood to see if it is still relatively easy to launch but with a little more control.

The 5 wood is more a fairway club, although it launches no bother from a fair lie in the rough. And is probably mainly in the bag for a 200-230 second shot on a par 5. I probably don't see enough difference between the 3 and 4 hybrid to carry both at any one time. They are a good tee option on tighter and shorter par 4s. I often play the 23° off the tee.

Edit: In answer to your question I would suggest the 5 wood as the better choice overall.

coillcam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121925381#Comment_121925381

If you have the chance try both and see how it feels for you. I loved hybrids when I started out but now I prefer a driving iron or 7 wood. A 5w was too close to my 3w and I found the 7w much easier to hit, plus it gets huge peak height lands like a bag of spuds. However it's not great when it's windy!

If you're buying one club, arguably the hybrid will be a bit more all-round or versatile. A bit better coming out of the rough and first cut also.

With that said I don't know what it was but I tried a couple of hybrids last year and I just couldn't make it work. Top of my bag is 3w,7w,3i,5i. The 7w and 3i overlap but I love them both for different reasons. I doubt I'd replace either with a hybrid. That's just where I'm at and how I'm swinging I guess. Lots of guys I play with have an old hybrid for years and will not upgrade such is their level of comfort.

awec

Do you folks play your hybrids out of the rough? Frequently or only if you have a very good lie?

I find I lose so much distance on it from the rough I could have played a higher lofted iron and got pretty much the same shot from it. But the rough in my course can be very long in parts which could be a factor.

coillcam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121926583#Comment_121926583

There's rough and then there's rough :)

If it's thick, long, wet, buried etc well you're not getting out of there unless you plough a wedge or short iron. Hybrids are also known as rescues, I believe this is the original name they had back in the day. The idea being it can rescue you from crap lies. The shape of the head is smaller than a wood and bulkier than an iron. The shape means that they can cut through the rough better than a wood and not tangle/catch like an iron. It should give you a better strike and stay straighter as the hosel doesn't catch in the grass (causing open/closed face).

100% they are easier to hit out of the rough than any iron/wood but it's not a simple cheat code to escape deep rough. The difference with a 4h in my bag was that I could lash it into the rough and the ball would come out low 150yds and trundle on a bit. My 7w can't do that, and I'd probably have to hit 7i or a shorter club while hoping for the best. You're not all of a sudden going to smash balls out of the rough 180yds+ onto greens (you should be on tour if so). It performs better without question from bad lies and its forgiving design with lower CG means it's easy to get the ball up with lower swing speeds. That's why you see a lot of ladies and older gents using multiple hybrids.

Ivefoundgod

I'm experimenting at the moment with a 5w. I've previously gone D, 3w, 3h, 4i but dropped the 4i last year for a 4h and the 3h for a 2iron. Bought a Stealth 2+ 5w and 3h earlier this year and am currently trying them both out with the intention of potentially dropping the 3w and going D, 5w/3h, 2i, 4h. So far the 5w has been a bit of a revelation for me, goes miles and is so much easier to hit off the deck than the 3w. I changed courses this year and my new course doesn't have as much of a premium on keeping the ball in play so in most cases i'm hitting driver off the tee without any thought. I'm half thinking of dropping a club from the top end altogether and throwing in another wedge. The 3h is a great club too but they're both too similar distance wise to carry both and the 4h I have works well off the tee and as a rescue club out of the rough. With a decent lie though the 5w is easy hit out of the rough too. As others said i'd try both if you can but in all honesty I think a lot depends on your home course and how you play too.

spacecoyote

I dropped my 5w out in the gap from 3w to 4hy start of last winter and added 7w to the bag.

It's such a good option to have in the bag.

3w-5w gap was too small to justify keeping it there.

7w hits probably same distance as a 3hy but comes in with significantly more height and shorter stopping distance. It's pretty much all carry.

Gives me options on par 5s with doglegs and trees to carry to push for extra difference, or any long approach.

blue note

How are your bodies after a round lads? I'm stiff as hell after them. Turning my neck is a bit painful. I wasn't in time to stretch before my round today which doesn't help, but I'm wondering if I need to start doing warm downs after rounds too.

It used to not be like this.

Kiith

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121954061#Comment_121954061

I've found myself very stiff after playing 18 the last few weeks, but that's because i've had a very lazy winter. Need to start doing some proper stretching, as these old(ish) bones don't work as well as they used to.

Also have a blister from the new shoes, which is a bloody nightmare.

Lefty2Guns

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121954061#Comment_121954061

I've taken up Pilates to strengthen my core muscles and lower back. I'd highly recommend it as an exercise and it has definitely got rid of the pain after a round of golf.

plumber77

Did anyone try for RCD open week. No luck for me

token56

https://www.golf365.com/equipment/study-claims-orange-balls-can-shave-strokes-off-your-score

An interesting one here coming from a study in Ireland. Should we all be switching to orange golf balls? I'm very interested to see if they can find the exact reason for the apparent improvement.

blue note

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121963117#Comment_121963117

Cheers. Sounds like work though. Maybe there are effective drugs I could take? And done other drugs to help with a slice would be great too.

fungie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964410#Comment_121964410

I managed to get a spot. However, it might be my last year doing it, 120 pounds per person (includes lunch) is getting out of hand. Big increase compared to previous years.

plumber77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964675#Comment_121964675

Fair play. Saucy enough at 120 but never played it

REFLINE1

If anyone got an RCD spot(s) that wont use it let me know as id take them no problem

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964511#Comment_121964511

It was an April Fools. 😁

zocklie

I played an open comp yesterday (placing etc so non counting) does anyone know where I can see this record? Obviously it won't be in golf Ireland app, but doesn't appear on howdidido either (home non counting rounds are there however)

CONSI

Anyone got suggestions for reasonable priced golf for a group of 24. Looking for 2 days of golf over a weekend so courses would need to be nearby but open to anywhere really. Looking around at courses and prices are just going up and up and up. Wondering are there any hidden gems out there. Half the group are flying in from Scotland so would be nice to keep costs reasonable but still play decent courses.

token56

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121965033#Comment_121965033

🤦‍♂️

Lefty2Guns

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121965074#Comment_121965074

Knightsbrook is reasonable enough. You can play the course and then Killeen Castle another day (15 mins drive). They have onsite lodges which cater for 6/8 people.

blackbox

Are Boards golfers very old? You all seem to work in yards rather than metres.

My home course uses metres.

Is it a sop to the yanks and the Brits?

I'm retired now and I have been using metres since I was a student.

Maybe I'm just getting cranky!

Kiith

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121966589#Comment_121966589

I'm not old, I'm not that old, but metres confuse me on a golf course. They are unquestionable the better unit of measurement, but yards are just built into my brain at this stage.

Richiemaloney

yep no luck 😩

El Guapo!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121966589#Comment_121966589

Using metres in golf makes me irrationally angry. I point blank refuse to do it. I'm not playing golf that long but it's always been yards whenever I remember watching it on TV even as a kid.

I don't see why it needs to be metres. There can be an international standard in place, which would be yards I'd imagine. I work in the railway and that uses mph, miles, yards, feet etc as that is the international standard.

I've no problem with km/h on the roads etc but with golf, I'm dead set on sticking with yards 😂

PARlance

Every ounce of me hates the fact that we haven't converted to meters or metres.

blackbox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121967277#Comment_121967277

Watching it on TV as a kid - these competitions were probably in the USA or maybe the UK.

Mantis Toboggan

Think the US and Engerland are the only countries still using feet and yards. I've Long since moved over to meters but yards still widely used as we watch a lot of golf in America.

Brego888

What's the best site to pick up regular cheap deals for green fees these days?

Haven't played in about 5 years but hoping to get back into now that the kids are in school!

I used tee times and golf now back in the day. These still usable or are there better alternatives?

P.s. Tee times website still looks like something from the 1990s