The Golf Thread

[hurtin_albertan 70]

With golf season in Canada just around the corner and the professional tours in full swing (no pun intended), I thought I'd re-create the golf thread we had on the old forum last summer where users posted their thoughts on all things golf, including scores, handicaps, equipment reviews, etc, and especially course reccomendations. I know for sure that I played the Sundre course by reccomendation from somebody, and Peeps enjoyed Water Valley at my reccomendation.

As it's still a tad early in the season and Calgary just had another weekend of snow, I'll start it off by saying that I'm absolutely itching to get on the course. I've been playing for around 15 years, most of which saw me get in a few intoxicated rounds per season and shoot in the 100-110 range. Last season I made a commitment to play more, practice more, learn more, etc; made huge strides in correcting my chronic slice while adding a 2007 Taylor Made Burner driver to my bag; and ended the season with 17 rounds and a 22 handicap. I plan on obliterating those marks this season! I've also priced and tested out new irons, fairway woods, and wedges to continue my purge of the crappy Costco clubs I got 10 years ago, so more on that as the season goes.

My top 3 favorite courses from last season were:

1. D'Arcy Ranch, Okotoks AB - $70 weekday and weekend.

http://www.darcyranchgolf.com/bookings.htm

2. Water Valley, Cremona AB - $45 weekday, $57 weekend. Great course, unbeatable price, 45 minutes from downtown Calgary. http://www.watervalleygolf.ca/booking.html

3. Radium Resort (Springs Course), Radium BC - $80 weekday, $110 weekend. Beautiful course in the mountains, but they really gouge you on the weekends (ie. not worth $110). However I made a number of weekend trips to Radium from Calgary, and if you can get there by 4pm on Friday it's only $65, which is a great price and further made worth it by the stunning early evening scenery.

http://www.radiumresort.com/golf/springs/green_fees.aspx

Stay tuned and please don't hesitate to make your contribution to the golf thread!

[The_Don 100]

"With golf season in Canada just around the corner"

????

I've played 4 rounds this year already.

[Pyromancer 77]

The_Don - I think they were talking about real golf.

[The_Don 100]

As was I. U jelly?

[The_People1 1]

Thanks again for the recommend of Water Valley, hurtin_albertan. It's such a good deal to play there because the greens are just fantastically maintained for that price. Plus the front 9 playing up and down the valley is breathe taking. I live in the NW of Calgary so the commute there is pretty decent for me too.

I've been golfing for about 12 years now but last season was the first season where i played "a lot" (which was about 15 rounds). i broke 100 for the first time ever at Boulder Creek (and i still remember it like yesterday)...

http://www.bouldercreek.ca/golf/proto/bouldercreekca/

It's sadly not a great course though. I played there late summer that time so the mosquitoes were swarming with fiery.

Silverwing was another bad course in the late summers. That's the course right beside the airport on Barlow Tr. When it's dry there, their fairways are hard like the takeoff runway. You might as well be playing on concrete. I drove 325+ yards there once (because the ball wouldn't stop rolling.) It was a Par 5 500+ yard hole and my golf cart GPS was telling me i had 175 left to the hole on my second shot.

http://www.silverwinggolf.com/golf/proto/silverwinggolf/

I recommend this course in the late summers for a great ego boost!

--

But enough with the crappy courses and on with some better recommendations. Tobiano in Kamloops is clearly, and still, the most beautiful golf course i've ever played at. The course is built on the Kamloops dunes overlooking Kamloops Lake. It's expensive but, it should be. It plays like it. It's worth it for the experience.

http://www.tobianogolf.com/golf/

Any avid golfer driving to/from Vancouver and Calgary should make this course a stop over and play a round there.

And of course, Kananaskis Golf.

http://www.kananaskisgolf.com/

One of the best that Alberta has to offer. Although sadly, i shouldn't say that because i haven't golf too many places in Alberta. Well, ever, period.

This season, i'd like to try Drumheller, which people say is really nice and i'd also like to sneak a round into the Calgary Golf and Country Club which people say is the best that Calgary has to offer (and one of the best in the nation (i'm not sure if that's true or not though)).

--

Oh, and i'm going to try and play Titleist Pro-V1 this entire season. I want to see what the hype is all about. The oil industry is back and strong so there's some extra pocket money to spend for sure. I also got the Ping G15 near the end of last season. I didn't get a chance to get good with it yet but I did manage to pound a couple "honest honest" 300+ yard drives. No, i'm not consistent at all. So, a wild driver with Titleist Pro-V1s, i think this should be an expensive season...

I'm also playing Taylormade Burner HTs which kind of suck, although, i got shaft extensions and re-gripped them in February and they have been performing like a gem at the range so far. I'm looking forward to a good season. I just hope my back holds up.

[The_Don 100]

If you guys ever want any advice on some courses in Vancouver area or especially on the island. There are some fantastic courses out here, and not just the one I work at.

Anyways, here's what I got in the bag:

R7 Superquad Driver

Adams Idea woods

R7 Draw hybrids

Srixon 1-503 irons

old Mizuno Wedges (about 10 years old, love 'em)

Odessyy White Steel Putter

[The_Don 100]

Oh, and i'm going to try and play Titleist Pro-V1 this entire season. I want to see what the hype is all about. The oil industry is back and strong so there's some extra pocket money to spend for sure. I also got the Ping G15 near the end of last season. I didn't get a chance to get good with it yet but I did manage to pound a couple "honest honest" 300+ yard drives. No, i'm not consistent at all. So, a wild driver with Titleist Pro-V1s, i think this should be an expensive season...

Honestly, they are not any different than any other top end ball. For average high 'cappers like us it won't make much difference. You might notice a little improvement but it is probably due the consistency of playing the same ball all the time, no matter what ball you use.

Oh and I just ordered these bad boys:

[hurtin_albertan 70]

Oh, and i'm going to try and play Titleist Pro-V1 this entire season. I want to see what the hype is all about. The oil industry is back and strong so there's some extra pocket money to spend for sure. I also got the Ping G15 near the end of last season. I didn't get a chance to get good with it yet but I did manage to pound a couple "honest honest" 300+ yard drives. No, i'm not consistent at all. So, a wild driver with Titleist Pro-V1s, i think this should be an expensive season...

I'm also playing Taylormade Burner HTs which kind of suck, although, i got shaft extensions and re-gripped them in February and they have been performing like a gem at the range so far. I'm looking forward to a good season. I just hope my back holds up.

Not a bad idea...I was hesitant to jump on the expensive ball bandwagon, as I didn't see myself as a good enough player for it to actually make a noticeable difference, but once I bit the bullet and started playing Pro-V1X exclusively, my shots were definitely more consistent. It will pay to be snobby, quality equipment makes a huge difference.

Also if you guys could have a look at this website and give me your feedback I'd appreciate it. http://www.tgw.com/main.jsp

I was all ready to spend $700 on a set of TaylorMade irons I tested out at Golf Town in Calgary, when I found the same set for $400 at the above site. Do you think there's any reason to be concerned about counterfeit clubs?

[The_Don 100]

Played again today.

Shot 92. Not bad for me, but I want to be in the 80's and I'll be happy. I'll blame it on the fact that we punched yesterday and I couldn't sink a putt.

[The_People1 1]

Odessyy White Steel Putter

LOl i've always thought these were "ladies" putters... I saw them used on the PGA the first year they came onto the market but then they vanished quickly. Now, you can only see them used in the LPGA.

Not a bad idea...I was hesitant to jump on the expensive ball bandwagon, as I didn't see myself as a good enough player for it to actually make a noticeable difference, but once I bit the bullet and started playing Pro-V1X exclusively, my shots were definitely more consistent. It will pay to be snobby, quality equipment makes a huge difference.

I'm hoping the psychology of using expensive balls with make me focus harder on each and every shot... and hopefully, bring me better results. I've used a different ball every season.

I started early on with various kinds of Nike for the first 3 to 5 years. I've moved to Callaway (low end balls) for a season. Switched to Bridgestone for one. Did some Nike again. Callaways are actually pretty good for the money.

Also if you guys could have a look at this website and give me your feedback I'd appreciate it. http://www.tgw.com/main.jsp

I was all ready to spend $700 on a set of TaylorMade irons I tested out at Golf Town in Calgary, when I found the same set for $400 at the above site. Do you think there's any reason to be concerned about counterfeit clubs?

I don't know about this site but a lot of times when you see clubs that are unbelievably under priced, it's almost always because their clubs don't come with the original shaft and/or grip that it was designed with. You will get a real genuine club head but they substitute in some cheap steel shafts or generic graphic ones instead... and/or super cheap grips that almost certainly needs an immediate upgrade.

I don't think there's anything to worry about with counterfeit clubs on a major/busy website but don't get "shafted" and check to make sure you are getting the complete package.

[The_Don 100]

LOl i've always thought these were "ladies" putters... I saw them used on the PGA the first year they came onto the market but then they vanished quickly. Now, you can only see them used in the LPGA.

Usually the only difference between a men's and ladies putter is the length.

[C_worthy 402]

Anyways, here's what I got in the bag:

R7 Superquad Driver

Adams Idea woods

R7 Draw hybrids

Srixon 1-503 irons

old Mizuno Wedges (about 10 years old, love 'em)

Odessyy White Steel Putter

I had 2 R7s and now have 2 R7 Superquads (so a big fan). Just picked up an R11 and I can tell you that it was a major improvement for me - 10 to 15 yards and more a consistent line. It is sweeeeeet! You should check it out.

For those talking about ProVs, I agree with HA that you will notice a difference if you play with a good ball. There are several on the market and you can find what works for you, but whatever you choose, it should help. Personally, I LOVE the ProV1 - distance is good, but it also feels great with irons, and with the putter it feels like a marshmallow (which is a good thing).

By the way... I am going to St Andrews this year and I am seriously jacked!!

[The_Don 100]

I had 2 R7s and now have 2 R7 Superquads (so a big fan). Just picked up an R11 and I can tell you that it was a major improvement for me - 10 to 15 yards and more a consistent line. It is sweeeeeet! You should check it out.

For those talking about ProVs, I agree with HA that you will notice a difference if you play with a good ball. There are several on the market and you can find what works for you, but whatever you choose, it should help. Personally, I LOVE the ProV1 - distance is good, but it also feels great with irons, and with the putter it feels like a marshmallow (which is a good thing).

By the way... I am going to St Andrews this year and I am seriously jacked!!

Yeah I will definitely hit the demos when they come in.

LUCKY!!!!

[mrjohnnycanuck 48]

The_Don - I think they were talking about real golf.

Ironic...anybody watching the Masters?

[Pyromancer 77]

The Masters this weekend was excellent entertainment.

I was rooting for the youngsters McIlroy or Day to win it or possibly Woods in his pursuit of the Majors record.

In the end Charles Schwartzel got to wear the Green Jacket which he fully deserved.

If you didn't watch it, watch the highlights of Schwartzel's 1st & 3rd holes and his 4 birdie finish on the 15 - 18 holes

[hurtin_albertan 70]

Just bought a set of TaylorMade Burner SuperLaunch irons (4-SW) off golfdiscount.com for $350 plus shipping. They were being advertised in Canada at Golf Town and Nevada Bob's for $700 but I see they've recently come down to $400 so I didn't end up saving much by ordering out of the States, although I tried my best! They're huge, clunky, and really quite ugly, but they're ridiculously easy to hit. I took them to the range yesterday for my first swings since September, and even when I made horrendous contact (fat or thin) the ball still flew decently. If anybody struggles to hit their irons consistently I highly reccommend giving these clubs a whirl at your local golf shop, I can really see why they're called "SuperLaunch".

[The_People1 1]

Just bought a set of TaylorMade Burner SuperLaunch irons (4-SW) off golfdiscount.com for $350 plus shipping. They were being advertised in Canada at Golf Town and Nevada Bob's for $700 but I see they've recently come down to $400 so I didn't end up saving much by ordering out of the States, although I tried my best! They're huge, clunky, and really quite ugly, but they're ridiculously easy to hit. I took them to the range yesterday for my first swings since September, and even when I made horrendous contact (fat or thin) the ball still flew decently. If anybody struggles to hit their irons consistently I highly reccommend giving these clubs a whirl at your local golf shop, I can really see why they're called "SuperLaunch".

I'm using a variation of the Burners and have tried many others in the past. They're really forgiving irons. Totally recommended. Great purchase man!

Does anyone know if most driving ranges are open around Calgary yet? RCGA is open year around but it's been impossible to get a stall there the last couple of weeks.

[cross16 2,651]

I havn't tried a range yet but I know a Friend of mine in the NW went to the range this weekend and he said there were a couple open there. The ones over by the country Hills shopping area were open. I tend to avoid RCGA at this time too. Way too busy and they arn't running their grass yet just the mats and I hate hitting off of those.

This is what i'm using the bag.

TaylorMade R580 XD driver. Little outdated but still works great. Seriously consdieing look at the New ones, especially after reading this thread.

Titliest Hybrid. Few years old.

Cleveland CG7 Red Irons. got them new last year, will pre hit about 7 times for $400 and they are sweet. I went from 10 year old Irons to these ones and the difference in forgiveness was 10 fold.

Just added som Cleveland Black pearl wedges at the end of last year when Gold depot had blowout on them.

I run the same putter as you Don. Odyssey. I love it, works great.

I use to be a Pro V guy and I do notice a difference as well. I got a box of the Nike One's for Xmas this year so I'll be playing that quite a bit. Anyone like that ball? I've never tried one. I'm also looking to upgrade my woods this year.

Man, C-worthy that's awesome about St Andrews. I had a family friend play it a number of years back and he just raved and raved about. Incredibly jealous.

[The_People1 1]

I havn't tried a range yet but I know a Friend of mine in the NW went to the range this weekend and he said there were a couple open there. The ones over by the country Hills shopping area were open. I tend to avoid RCGA at this time too. Way too busy and they arn't running their grass yet just the mats and I hate hitting off of those.

I was at the Beddington/HarvestHills/CountryHills/WhatchumacallitArea Range this past weekend. Disappointed they didn't put out new mats for the new season. Pretty worn out stuff. Plus, they haven't put in their flags so there's really nothing to aim at other than their distance markers which are the painted wood signs. But oh well, it's probably the cheapest range in town. $11 a large bucket.

I use to be a Pro V guy and I do notice a difference as well. I got a box of the Nike One's for Xmas this year so I'll be playing that quite a bit. Anyone like that ball? I've never tried one. I'm also looking to upgrade my woods this year.

Literally "a box" as in one box? Man, i think i lose at least 6 balls per round. I go through boxes each season.

I've played Nike Distance balls before. They are really good bang for the buck.

[cross16 2,651]

Literally "a box" as in one box? Man, i think i lose at least 6 balls per round. I go through boxes each season.

I've played Nike Distance balls before. They are really good bang for the buck.

Yeah, just a box of a dozen. I'm up and down with lost balls. On avg, I probably only lose about 3-4 a round and I sometimes only play 3 to 4 rounds a year so they "may" last me all season. Probably not though unfortunately.......

[The_Don 100]

Yeah, just a box of a dozen. I'm up and down with lost balls. On avg, I probably only lose about 3-4 a round and I sometimes only play 3 to 4 rounds a year so they "may" last me all season. Probably not though unfortunately.......

The trick to find as many as you lose. I lose 1 or 2 each round but I usually find as many if not more.

There used to be a place in Nanaimo that would trade a sleeve of balls (mid-range DT's or something) for a dozen used balls in good shape. I go down there with a few dozen at the start of the year and usually be good for the season. But they closed down.

[The_People1 1]

The trick to find as many as you lose. I lose 1 or 2 each round but I usually find as many if not more.

There used to be a place in Nanaimo that would trade a sleeve of balls (mid-range DT's or something) for a dozen used balls in good shape. I go down there with a few dozen at the start of the year and usually be good for the season. But they closed down.

Ball retreivers man. I don't have one but my golfing buddies do. Every time they hit one into the water hazards, they go in there and fish out 3 or 4 balls. What an awesome trade off. At about $20, the ball retreiver pays for itself after three or four rounds of golf.

[hurtin_albertan 70]

Ball retreivers man. I don't have one but my golfing buddies do. Every time they hit one into the water hazards, they go in there and fish out 3 or 4 balls. What an awesome trade off. At about $20, the ball retreiver pays for itself after three or four rounds of golf.

You have to be careful with that though, a lot of balls end up waterlogged and hitting them makes an already bad golfer even worse, and you may not even be able to tell that the thing is garbage by looking at it. The ball flight will be brutal, but a duffer will blame his poor swing. The game is hard enough as it is, trying to play with faulty equipment is just going to make it more difficult.

Speaking from experience, that's a problem that a lot of amateur golfers face - they're not very good so they can't justify spending a lot of money on higher end equipment, but playing the cheapo no-name stuff for the most part is very difficult. The top of the line brands not only perform better when you hit it well, but they're far more forgiving so when you don't make solid contact you're not punished near as much. It took me one summer (last year) to figure that out, as I had been the type of golfer I just described for 10 years easily. As soon as I started playing quality equipment the difference was drastic.

That shouldn't have come as much of a surprise for me, as I'm a big guitar player and it didn't take long to figure out that a $5000 custom Taylor practically plays itself, smooth as butter, whereas a $100 Wal Mart no name special is very difficult to work with, it literally makes you a worse player. (ie. you'll never play the crap piece as nicely as you'll play the Taylor - ever). Even if you're just learning, your improvement and enjoyment will increase tenfold playing a decent quality guitar as opposed to a cheap piece of crap. Same deal with golf.

[The_People1 1]

You have to be careful with that though, a lot of balls end up waterlogged...

That sounds like a great idea for a Myth Busters episode.

First off, can a golf ball even become waterlogged? ...like can water seep into a golf ball? Maybe if the surface was already scuffed and cracked... in which case, you shouldn't play those balls anyway. If a perfectly fine golf ball is submerged in water, can water get inside? Can water erode the outter shell even?

Of course, once water gets inside, i can see how it compromises the golf ball's performance but I really doubt water can get inside in the first place.

[hurtin_albertan 70]

That sounds like a great idea for a Myth Busters episode.

First off, can a golf ball even become waterlogged? ...like can water seep into a golf ball? Maybe if the surface was already scuffed and cracked... in which case, you shouldn't play those balls anyway. If a perfectly fine golf ball is submerged in water, can water get inside? Can water erode the outter shell even?

Of course, once water gets inside, i can see how it compromises the golf ball's performance but I really doubt water can get inside in the first place.

That's a good point, I didn't really consider the validity of it...just going by what I've been told. How sheepish of me.

To business: first round of the season in the books. Shot 95 at Water Valley, also their first day of the season. The course was in mediocre shape, greens were great but the fairways were either mostly dead brown or just exposed from snow cover and totally waterlogged. It needs some time to green up. There was also a "temporary green" we were notified of and given $10 off the next round, which actually turned out to be a spraypainted circle on a pile of dirt, with a driving range mat for a tee box! Pretty hilarious really...should've just said the hole was closed.

Given that I ran 4 putts right by the hole from inside 5 feet, I could have shot a 91, and minus a few penalty strokes for lost balls it could have been a sub-90 round, which is encouraging given the first swings of the season. At any rate I met my goal of breaking 100 for the first round, and my goal for the season is to be breaking 90 consistently or at least scaring it.

I am officially a golf addict! Post your updates, I'm looking forward to reading them.