Golf Thread

[SWP's back]

Nah, trees are pricks

You want to try rocks and desert if you’re offline. Our course has trees on the edge of the fairway then that if you’re offline. You become very adept hitting purposeful thins so as not to fuck your clubs and wrists.

 

[SWP's back]

Back in the day, when Calloway had just burst onto the scene with the Big Bertha my wife and I were paired with an Irish couple at La Cala in Spain. Both were no more than 5 foot and a tea leaf, decked out head to toe in Calloway clothing, wielding full sets of Calloway clubs in enormous Calloway tour bags. It quickly became clear neither of them could play and eventually I turned to Maurice and said "I've got to ask mate. You must have 3 grands worth of equipment between you, but neither of you can hit the ball. What's that all about?" He just looked at my and replied "Oh jeesus, I'm the Calloway rep for all of Ireland" to which I said "But you can't play" and he smiled and replied "I know ... but I can fucking sell"!!
Turned out they were a fabulous couple and we met up a couple of times in Marbella and got seriously pissed with them!

Haha. Love it.

 

[SWP's back]

What's in your bag ?
10.5° Maverick driver -not hit
15° Maverick 3 wood.-not hit both lockdown eBay purchases. Excellent condition £365 for the pair.
19/22° TaylorMade M4 hybrids.
5-pw Srixon Z355 irons
48/52/58 Cleveland RTX 4 wedges.
Odyssey #5 c/shaft putter. (19years old)
Any reasonably priced mid range ball. AD333 tours when they're priced realistically.
Crept up to 14(13.6) hc. Hoping to get back to 12 or lower. Was 12.3.

I love my Mavrik driver, swing it remotely right and it’s ridiculously long and forgiving.

 

[SWP's back]

Lovely sunrise at the first tee this morning

 

[hammocity]

Which course did you play, Americas, Europa, Asia ?
Go there most years. Photo incoming.

I played La Cala many years ago, all I can remember was the course we played was very undulating, the 1st tee was elevated with a big drop down to the fairway, lovely course though.

 

[hammocity]

Been there twice in September/October and I’ve never seen rain like it.

I normally go to the Algarve now. Monte Rei, Pinhal, Faldo and the Quintas

Favourite course on the Algarve is Quinta Do Lago, (the one with a fountain around 16, I think Ayrton Senna Drive is on there as well).

Best laugh ever at golf was at the aquatic Salgados, as the organiser I bought a prize for the "winner" of who put the most balls in the water, my 24 handicap mate won a mask and snorkel. Our lowest handicapper who plays off 4 lost a sleeve of balls, tough.

I'd recommend Villa Sol, bit snobby but great set up. God, I so miss the golf and the trips away.

 

[journolud]

Any recommendations for a set of irons? I'm a left hooker who played a bit as a kid, but usually on the range. Never really found the time as an adult so have never bought a decent set.

Was using the range before Xmas with the extra flexibility of WFH, and caught the bug. It's something I'd love to pick up as a genuine hobby going forward. Don't want to have my pants down in the shop by a salesman, or buy a gash second hand set online. Any recommendations and ball park figures greatly appreciated.

Next to impossible to answer this as there are so many variables. I've only been playing a couple of years and started with a Fazer set from American Golf which included everything I needed while I learnt the basics. Only cost a couple of hundred but for that the technology isn't going to match what is currently available.
I've gradually changed the lot but made the mistake of collecting my irons piecemeal off eBay, they were actually in theory good irons albeit a few years old (taylormade rbz) but it took a while to dawn on me that they all had different shafts and two of them were the max rather than standard head.

Judging by the facebook groups I've been in golfers seem to be in the habit of changing their clubs frequently, either in the mistaken belief that the next set they buy will be perfect for them and take them to the tour or just because they can (shiny new toy syndrome).

There are so many good sets out there but seemingly what suits one won't suit another. I have a slow swing speed and there are drivers and irons more suited to this. I recently went to buy new irons and had the intention of buying a set of Wilson D7s having read the reviews and this being what my driver is. I came away with a set of ping g410s which I'm more than happy with, although I've only used them on the fields near my home up to now so time will tell. It's always at the back of your mind that when you go for a fitting that the pro is part salesman and may have a vested interested in selling you something in particular. I certainly felt the pings were pushed at me a bit but to be fair I tried a D7 and something else I can't remember and the pings felt best for me- they cost around £700 for 5 iron up to Pitching Wedge. That would appear to be the going rate for a decent set of irons although Decathlon and American Golf have their own brads which are cheaper.

There are lots of review videos on youtube and it's worth buying Golf Monthly or whatever to read about the latest. Happy hunting!

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Next to impossible to answer this as there are so many variables. I've only been playing a couple of years and started with a Fazer set from American Golf which included everything I needed while I learnt the basics. Only cost a couple of hundred but for that the technology isn't going to match what is currently available.
I've gradually changed the lot but made the mistake of collecting my irons piecemeal off eBay, they were actually in theory good irons albeit a few years old (taylormade rbz) but it took a while to dawn on me that they all had different shafts and two of them were the max rather than standard head.

Judging by the facebook groups I've been in golfers seem to be in the habit of changing their clubs frequently, either in the mistaken belief that the next set they buy will be perfect for them and take them to the tour or just because they can (shiny new toy syndrome).

There are so many good sets out there but seemingly what suits one won't suit another. I have a slow swing speed and there are drivers and irons more suited to this. I recently went to buy new irons and had the intention of buying a set of Wilson D7s having read the reviews and this being what my driver is. I came away with a set of ping g410s which I'm more than happy with, although I've only used them on the fields near my home up to now so time will tell. It's always at the back of your mind that when you go for a fitting that the pro is part salesman and may have a vested interested in selling you something in particular. I certainly felt the pings were pushed at me a bit but to be fair I tried a D7 and something else I can't remember and the pings felt best for me- they cost around £700 for 5 iron up to Pitching Wedge. That would appear to be the going rate for a decent set of irons although Decathlon and American Golf have their own brads which are cheaper.

There are lots of review videos on youtube and it's worth buying Golf Monthly or whatever to read about the latest. Happy hunting!

Another vote for Fazer from American Golf. I'd always played with a Heinz set which really dosen't help your game.

Paid a couple of hundred, they're quite basic and I bought a more weighted larger head putter.

They are still going strong, I play once or twice a week not including winter, it's only from posting this I've realised I've had them over 5 years.

One of the guys who plays with us is always getting new kit, clubs, clothes, rangefinders etc his game hasn't got any better and he'd normally play all year at least twice a week.

As a started a basic set would be fine at the very least until you find your feet.

Gratuitous funny story, said mate has an electric golf trolley and last year while 3 of us were on one side of a hole he was out of sight over the green....what we saw next was like Benny Hill, out of the corner of our eyes his trolly was flying along with him chasing it....once we'd stopped pissing ourselves, apparently he'd slipped taking his shot, headbutting the controls to set it off.....was better than my description and I'm still laughing typing it out.

Edit should really have quoted @dozzie26

 

[dozzie26]

Thanks for the replies, gents. My first ever putter was by Fazer as a kid.

Sounds like I'd be better going somewhere like a club or American Golf when available, and try a few out. I've seen some really good deals on the likes of eBay for second hand sets, but it's pot luck I guess.

 

[bluemonkey71]

Favourite course on the Algarve is Quinta Do Lago, (the one with a fountain around 16, I think Ayrton Senna Drive is on there as well).

Best laugh ever at golf was at the aquatic Salgados, as the organiser I bought a prize for the "winner" of who put the most balls in the water, my 24 handicap mate won a mask and snorkel. Our lowest handicapper who plays off 4 lost a sleeve of balls, tough.

I'd recommend Villa Sol, bit snobby but great set up. God, I so miss the golf and the trips away.

Villa Sol is ok but a lot of similar holes.
Both Vale courses are pretty good. Palmares is different if you fancy a road trip from Villamoura. Faldo course is a good test off the back tees and so is Victoria. You then release how far the Pros bomb it off the back tees.


My mate goes about 6 times a year. He’s now on first name terms with all the door staff on all the bars and ‘clubs’ around the marina...haha. Not sure he gets a discount yet in some of the well known haunting places.