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Full Version: 4 amateurs playing from the tips(article)
QUOTE(lsu_justin @ Mar 26 2008, 11:30 AM) 
Synopsis?
QUOTE(mbbrewer @ Mar 26 2008, 01:07 PM)
QUOTE(lsu_justin @ Mar 26 2008, 11:30 AM)
Synopsis?
They shot a million.
QUOTE(mbbrewer @ Mar 26 2008, 01:07 PM)
QUOTE(lsu_justin @ Mar 26 2008, 11:30 AM)
Synopsis?
wind + tips at a TPC course = 1287493827093827932875329857320985734 for a 15 handicap
Needless to say, a worthless experiment by someone who is supposed to repect the game. Not to mention they held up those behind them in the process.
Worthless experiment imho.
35 mile an hour winds from the tips screws up the pros, let alone mortals such as a 15 handicapper.
And, in my experience, most "unofficial" 15's are really more like 20+ handicappers in the first place.
My present handicap isn't relevant to this discussion, but when I was a true 15, I played with guys who said they were 12's or better, and they 1) took mulligans, 2) gave themselves a better lie (prompting me on more than one occasion to offer them a tee when we were on the fairway), 3) gave themselves or their playing partners "gimmes" from 6 feet in, or worse, 4) flat out lied about how many strokes it took them to finish the hole.
I am a long ball hitter for sure (sometimes long and wrong), but I wouldn't dare play from the tips at a course like the Blue Monster, where I played two years ago, when I was playing at my best. I was barely good enough to play that course (the pro said if you really should only play if you are a 10 or better, and was not shy about saying this to people that clearly wouldn't have fun playing that course), and I certainly didn't have the best day of my life, but was happy to keep my score in the 80's.
I got paired up with a couple of guys there on vacation that were clearly pretty inexperienced (I don't like saying that people are "bad", as we've all been there), and all they did was keep the play slow and lose a lot of balls. I guess they get to tell their friends that they played the Blue Monster, as they now have a towel on their bag from there.
35 mile an hour winds from the tips screws up the pros, let alone mortals such as a 15 handicapper.
And, in my experience, most "unofficial" 15's are really more like 20+ handicappers in the first place.
My present handicap isn't relevant to this discussion, but when I was a true 15, I played with guys who said they were 12's or better, and they 1) took mulligans, 2) gave themselves a better lie (prompting me on more than one occasion to offer them a tee when we were on the fairway), 3) gave themselves or their playing partners "gimmes" from 6 feet in, or worse, 4) flat out lied about how many strokes it took them to finish the hole.
I am a long ball hitter for sure (sometimes long and wrong), but I wouldn't dare play from the tips at a course like the Blue Monster, where I played two years ago, when I was playing at my best. I was barely good enough to play that course (the pro said if you really should only play if you are a 10 or better, and was not shy about saying this to people that clearly wouldn't have fun playing that course), and I certainly didn't have the best day of my life, but was happy to keep my score in the 80's.
I got paired up with a couple of guys there on vacation that were clearly pretty inexperienced (I don't like saying that people are "bad", as we've all been there), and all they did was keep the play slow and lose a lot of balls. I guess they get to tell their friends that they played the Blue Monster, as they now have a towel on their bag from there.
I enjoyed the article. Often I feel that way on regular courses as I play infrequently and many times not well. But there is an addictive quality in the pursuit of improvement. College football is a 20 year old memory and the shoulders can't handle a more physical sport than golf. So I keep at it.
I don't think it was a useless exercise. It illustrates the point that spectators don't have a true appreciation of how good professional golfers have to be in order to achieve success or simply keep a card on tour. The article gave me additional perspective on that and I believe that was the point the author was making.
The pro's are not even playing from the tips this week. Unless i am watching a different tournament, every hole i have seen is forward. every single par 3 is forward. Why even build back tee's if they are not going to be used.
QUOTE(muxi87 @ Mar 26 2008, 01:32 PM)
QUOTE(mbbrewer @ Mar 26 2008, 01:07 PM)
QUOTE(lsu_justin @ Mar 26 2008, 11:30 AM)
Synopsis?
wind + tips at a TPC course = 1287493827093827932875329857320985734 for a 15 handicap
Probably more like 112
QUOTE(mickeytbones @ Mar 26 2008, 01:54 PM)
Worthless experiment imho.
35 mile an hour winds from the tips screws up the pros, let alone mortals such as a 15 handicapper.
And, in my experience, most "unofficial" 15's are really more like 20+ handicappers in the first place.
My present handicap isn't relevant to this discussion, but when I was a true 15, I played with guys who said they were 12's or better, and they 1) took mulligans, 2) gave themselves a better lie (prompting me on more than one occasion to offer them a tee when we were on the fairway), 3) gave themselves or their playing partners "gimmes" from 6 feet in, or worse, 4) flat out lied about how many strokes it took them to finish the hole.
I am a long ball hitter for sure (sometimes long and wrong), but I wouldn't dare play from the tips at a course like the Blue Monster, where I played two years ago, when I was playing at my best. I was barely good enough to play that course (the pro said if you really should only play if you are a 10 or better, and was not shy about saying this to people that clearly wouldn't have fun playing that course), and I certainly didn't have the best day of my life, but was happy to keep my score in the 80's.
I got paired up with a couple of guys there on vacation that were clearly pretty inexperienced (I don't like saying that people are "bad", as we've all been there), and all they did was keep the play slow and lose a lot of balls. I guess they get to tell their friends that they played the Blue Monster, as they now have a towel on their bag from there.
35 mile an hour winds from the tips screws up the pros, let alone mortals such as a 15 handicapper.
And, in my experience, most "unofficial" 15's are really more like 20+ handicappers in the first place.
My present handicap isn't relevant to this discussion, but when I was a true 15, I played with guys who said they were 12's or better, and they 1) took mulligans, 2) gave themselves a better lie (prompting me on more than one occasion to offer them a tee when we were on the fairway), 3) gave themselves or their playing partners "gimmes" from 6 feet in, or worse, 4) flat out lied about how many strokes it took them to finish the hole.
I am a long ball hitter for sure (sometimes long and wrong), but I wouldn't dare play from the tips at a course like the Blue Monster, where I played two years ago, when I was playing at my best. I was barely good enough to play that course (the pro said if you really should only play if you are a 10 or better, and was not shy about saying this to people that clearly wouldn't have fun playing that course), and I certainly didn't have the best day of my life, but was happy to keep my score in the 80's.
I got paired up with a couple of guys there on vacation that were clearly pretty inexperienced (I don't like saying that people are "bad", as we've all been there), and all they did was keep the play slow and lose a lot of balls. I guess they get to tell their friends that they played the Blue Monster, as they now have a towel on their bag from there.
funny cause it's true...
i'm not a good player myself, but some days i can shoot a nice round, other days i just flat out stink, but i never lie about my score and i play by the rules...
i've heard talk from plenty of guys that they shoot 70 this or 70 that, and then you finally get to play with them, and they are just terrible, don't count strokes that they blow OB off the tee, take a drop in the fairway when they are stuck behind a tree 25 yards off the fairway etc...
miss a 3 footer, and call it good, cause if they tried they would have made it... i mean this is the kind of crap i'll do in my practice rounds, but when i'm playing with people i play everything as it lies, and count every stroke...
nothing worse than going to work after a morning of golf with the guys, and that one guy who carded a 5 on the par 5, who blew a shot OB off the tee, duffed one in the fairway, missed the green and then 3 putted, is talking smack how he shot 2 better than you...
not too mention the tools you run into at the range who tell you are they going to Bay Hill this weekend, and are playing from the back tees, and then worm burns 4 drivers in a row... UGH...
It was a useless experiment I think as well. All they managed to do was just hold up play for everyone behind them. Allbeit, I would still LOVE to do what they did, just to say you got to play a course the pros play. It would be so much fun even if I do shoot 135 
.
.
shooting a 135 ANYWHERE is not fun... even if you were playing with the pros...
I played Orange County National in Orlando earlier this week (site of Q School) in 15-25 mph wind and let me tell you that from the tips it boggles my mind that anyone can shoot a 62 on Crooked Cat or Panther Lake under Q School conditions. The experiment is indeed valid imo - the truth is laid out for all to see, the pros are DAMN good while 99.5% of the rest of us simply whack the ball forward in some manner.
I can't wait to see what happens to the 4 at the US Open...there should be some major carnage if the wind is blowing- good luck to em
I can't wait to see what happens to the 4 at the US Open...there should be some major carnage if the wind is blowing- good luck to em
QUOTE(mickeytbones @ Mar 26 2008, 01:54 PM)
Worthless experiment imho.
35 mile an hour winds from the tips screws up the pros, let alone mortals such as a 15 handicapper.
And, in my experience, most "unofficial" 15's are really more like 20+ handicappers in the first place.
My present handicap isn't relevant to this discussion, but when I was a true 15, I played with guys who said they were 12's or better, and they 1) took mulligans, 2) gave themselves a better lie (prompting me on more than one occasion to offer them a tee when we were on the fairway), 3) gave themselves or their playing partners "gimmes" from 6 feet in, or worse, 4) flat out lied about how many strokes it took them to finish the hole.
I am a long ball hitter for sure (sometimes long and wrong), but I wouldn't dare play from the tips at a course like the Blue Monster, where I played two years ago, when I was playing at my best. I was barely good enough to play that course (the pro said if you really should only play if you are a 10 or better, and was not shy about saying this to people that clearly wouldn't have fun playing that course), and I certainly didn't have the best day of my life, but was happy to keep my score in the 80's.
I got paired up with a couple of guys there on vacation that were clearly pretty inexperienced (I don't like saying that people are "bad", as we've all been there), and all they did was keep the play slow and lose a lot of balls. I guess they get to tell their friends that they played the Blue Monster, as they now have a towel on their bag from there.
35 mile an hour winds from the tips screws up the pros, let alone mortals such as a 15 handicapper.
And, in my experience, most "unofficial" 15's are really more like 20+ handicappers in the first place.
My present handicap isn't relevant to this discussion, but when I was a true 15, I played with guys who said they were 12's or better, and they 1) took mulligans, 2) gave themselves a better lie (prompting me on more than one occasion to offer them a tee when we were on the fairway), 3) gave themselves or their playing partners "gimmes" from 6 feet in, or worse, 4) flat out lied about how many strokes it took them to finish the hole.
I am a long ball hitter for sure (sometimes long and wrong), but I wouldn't dare play from the tips at a course like the Blue Monster, where I played two years ago, when I was playing at my best. I was barely good enough to play that course (the pro said if you really should only play if you are a 10 or better, and was not shy about saying this to people that clearly wouldn't have fun playing that course), and I certainly didn't have the best day of my life, but was happy to keep my score in the 80's.
I got paired up with a couple of guys there on vacation that were clearly pretty inexperienced (I don't like saying that people are "bad", as we've all been there), and all they did was keep the play slow and lose a lot of balls. I guess they get to tell their friends that they played the Blue Monster, as they now have a towel on their bag from there.
I get to play the Blue Monster a few times a year. From the blue tees I shoot in the 80's, lowest ever was an 82 (I'm a 10 H). Last year I did some work for a Doral staff member and he got me out there to play with some other staff. We played the BM right after they were done redoing greens and bunkers. It wasn't open to the public yet. They asked if I minded playing from the tips.....................I said I did mind but if they were willing to bear with me it might be fun to give it a go.
Two of these guys were single digit, one was scratch and all had played the BM SEVERAL times. Nobody broke 80.......I shot 103!!!
Worthless? IMO, no.
The overwhelming majority of people who play golf are not club ho's like the people on this website.
They know golf is hard because they've watched themselves play; they know the pros are good because they've watched them on TV or when the PGA Tour came to town.
But they really don't have a grasp on just how good those guys are until they watch them quite a bit and/or try to do what they do. Meaning ....
* A lot of people think the pros are "scratch" players, i.e., give them their handicap & on a good day, they could hang in there with a PGA Tour pro. They don't realize PGA Tour pros are more like +5's.
* Most folks can't fathom how good those guys hit it .... we're thrilled to hit a 7-iron to 20 feet, they ... well, aren't.
* As for the 35 MPH winds .... think Pebble for the 4th round of the 1972 & 1992 U.S. Opens.
The overwhelming majority of people who play golf are not club ho's like the people on this website.
They know golf is hard because they've watched themselves play; they know the pros are good because they've watched them on TV or when the PGA Tour came to town.
But they really don't have a grasp on just how good those guys are until they watch them quite a bit and/or try to do what they do. Meaning ....
* A lot of people think the pros are "scratch" players, i.e., give them their handicap & on a good day, they could hang in there with a PGA Tour pro. They don't realize PGA Tour pros are more like +5's.
* Most folks can't fathom how good those guys hit it .... we're thrilled to hit a 7-iron to 20 feet, they ... well, aren't.
* As for the 35 MPH winds .... think Pebble for the 4th round of the 1972 & 1992 U.S. Opens.
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