That certainly may be an option on the days I don't have to get the little guy to daycare.

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It's all par 3s and sub-300 yard par 4s. I'll drop down to 11-12 clubs there and carry my bag.

Great way to start the day.

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Sex isn't dirty, sex isn't a crime. It's a loving act between two or more consenting adults.

-Hank Kingsley

Yeah, sometimes rounds like that are great. Stony Creek is a super short course not too far from me in Oak Lawn, four par 3's on each side. I'll go with 4-iron and then short clubs to get some practice in.

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Probably get up to Tony Romos dads range early this week. Just wanting to hit balls outside. With some luck the snow will pretty much be gone in a week. Possible rain could expedite that

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

I'm going to try to get to the range this week myself. It's one thing to go to the simulator but seeing the ball fly through the air is something else entirely.

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Agreed. I don’t completely believe the simulator. Better to have that mental connection of seeing and not just believing

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

I grooved a bad swing once in a dome over the winter, so I won't touch a simulator.

I'm like Brooks Koepka.

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Sex isn't dirty, sex isn't a crime. It's a loving act between two or more consenting adults.

-Hank Kingsley

I've seen some of you out hitting balls on social media. I didn't make it out this week. The closest open range is 35 minutes away and I just can't get away right now. I called around and one local course is opening on Saturday but of course by then it will be back to 40 degrees or whatever. My home course sounds like they will open next weekend so that is somewhat promising, although the weather doesn't look particularly good like it did this week. Nothing to complain about, almost all the snow up here is gone. I'll likely go and pay for my membership tomorrow and just get some of the warmer weather gear ready and play some winter rules golf for a while. Early in the season it is more about the walking/exercise and loosening up the golf muscles than anything else. I don't even think I can technically put scores into the state handicap site for a while.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

I don't even know if I can play golf, forgot to ask the doctor. Gonna give it a try and see what happens. How important is it to a golf swing to be able to feel your left foot?

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You just can't feel your foot? Do you still have good strength in the leg? I know some of the new swing thoughts are to push down and off the ground with your feet and legs but I guess I have never bought into that. Knowing what I do about your history of back issues I would say that if your back is ok you can probably get by with a bum foot. Ideally you would like to feel the foot but I'd guess that your back foot would be more integral to your golf swing, you'll need your left leg for the follow through obviously.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

part of not being able to feel the foot is I also lost a lot of strength and balance in my left leg. I trip a lot while walking because I can't really lift my left foot off the ground too easily and end up catching it on stuff as I'm walking. Haven't fallen, but have definitely stumbled on more than one occasion. I already have a swing where I barely move my body so maybe it won't be that much of a hinderance. We'll see.

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Yeah you have a goofy swing already, but it works for you. I'm sure you will figure something out. Even if you lose distance and have to move up a tee, who cares.



I played Saturday at Silver Lake south course. Toughest hole on the property there is #1; 540 yard uphill par 5, that plays directly into the sun early in the morning. I managed to hit three pretty good shots, chipped on with my fourth, and two putted for a 6 which is almost always a good score on that hole. Continued to hit the ball well with bogeys and two pars through #6. On a busy Saturday, my dad and I played the first 6 holes in 75-80 minutes. on #7, that changed drastically.

No ranger around, so between the par 3 seventh hole and eighth tee, we had a twosome, a single, a twosome, a threesome, then us. Why the fucking moron single felt he could play by himself and screw up everybody's time was beyond me. Took almost 90 minutes to play 7, 8, & 9 which really threw off my rhythm and turned the scorecard into a shitshow. Fortunately, the single left after the 9th, and one of the twosomes called it quits after 11 so the pace improved bigtime and so did my scoring. I played +2 from 11 through 16. Ended up with a 96 which I was pretty happy with. Greens got very slow, and clubs went considerably shorter over the final 4-5 holes as the temperatures dropped.

For March 13th, the course was in pretty good shape and I was in short sleeve until the 17th hole. Was a great day to be outdoors, and I was pretty pleased with a good start to the Golf/Stupidity season.

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I was supposed to play on Tuesday, got in my car and the battery wouldn't crank. At least it didn't happen at 5am the next day when I was headed to the airport. By the time I got it jumped and drove to get a new battery (110k on the original, I just spaced out on replacing it this past fall) the day was shot.

I will try again this Wednesday if the predicted storms don't come early.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

Went to XGolf in Libertyville last weekend. It was great to get some swings in. Pretty damn fun. I'll probably hit the outdoor range this weekend.

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@audioidkid

Very likely I will purchase my golf membership tomorrow when I am out and about after a Zoom. Hoping to play Friday but might get pushed to the weekend -- very likely sloppy. Just excited to get out and walk for the most part this early in the season. I am trying to make arrangements to play Streamsong when I am in the Tampa area in a month but they don't take tee times until about 3 weeks out if you aren't staying on property. I also don't see a way to sign up as a single so I will likely have to call down there. Also going to visit my mother in mid May in NC but I just don't see having enough time to drive the 3.5 hours to get out near Pinehurst, so we will likely play somewhere in the Charlotte area. We fly down on a Friday and leave Monday so it won't be a long trip. I need to determine whether or not I want to bring home my set of Mizunos and either get them refinished or just try to sell them to the highest bidder. The MP-33s are pretty sought after among collectors and Mizuno-philes. I just think I would regret letting them go, even though it makes little sense to keep holding onto them. I don't get to play them more than once a year sitting in NC. I think if I can commit to going down there twice a year to play golf it would be worth hanging onto them and keeping them there. I love to travel without golf clubs!

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Finally got out for 9 this afternoon. It rained two inches yesterday so the range was closed. Not ideal since I hadn't swung a club since the first week of January. Fortunately they were starting people on the easy 9 that was an add on to the original course about 20 years ago and has fewer forced carries. The fairways were soaked and punched to try and improve drainage. They are expecting a serious storm tomorrow so it was today or bust as my membership is Monday-Friday.

I hit my new 3-wood for the first time, used it on 7 of the tee boxes. It's already better than my 13 year old driver, and I don't have positioning and tee height dialed in yet.

Because the fairways had no carry, I played the senior tees which are too forward even for me; if you play this nine twice it's 64/100 senior and 66/112 off the whites for a par 70 - and I'm comfortable in the 66/115 difficulty range for a par 72. As it was, due to the mud I had to take an extra club or two for all my approach shots. Cart path only, which I hate but was a given.

Amazingly, I shot by far my best nine since I started playing again: 48 (+13), no mulligans. The 3 wood (a 2020 Mavrik) made a huge difference keeping me consistent. No GIR, but I had a 1-putt par and four 2-putt bogeys. Even giving myself two more shots for the ease of the course, I'd be at +15, and I never broke that last season. Leaving myself a comfortable third shot makes all the difference for me.

Weather permitting, my next round is next Tuesday.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

Co-sponsoring the Chicago Golf Tour this year, while also participating in the South Side Tour. My game has absolutely no business being in any competition, but here we are.

Very cool of you, hope all is well.

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Your posts have no business being on any message board, but here we are

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Looks like Sunday will be the first round of the year. Can't wait!

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Possibly Sunday or next Wednesday it begins.

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If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Sunday 8am first round of the year. Will try to get out on Monday as well but not sure what that will look like as a single. I
was going to talk to the pro on Sunday and see if I could get out before the first 8am tee time. I can finish in just over 2 hours on the course I was going to play if no one is in front of me. Looking forward to it. I'd like to shoot for 100 rounds this year but that might be a little aggressive.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Blackstone on Sunday at 11:24. The season will officially begin!

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First round of the year went ok overall. Obviously a lot of rust and the course was pretty rough as well but it wasn't all that
wet and other than some heavy wind kicking up on the back nine it was an enjoyable walk. I was determined to not overdo it
and was just swinging 85-90% off the tee and with my irons. Off the tee I found the fairway much more often and had a
much straighter ball flight which makes sense. If I can suck up my pride and can be happy with 250-260 in the fairway I think
dialing back would make some sense, if not all the time then definitely on some if the tighter driving holes if I can remember
I have that shot in the bag. New putter worked well for me. I don't have a Super Stroke on it so the grip felt really small but
I think having to hold it a little lighter and focus on my stroke may have helped a bit. It will be a work in progress. Biggest
issue were approach shots with short irons. On shots from 100-125 I was pulling them left and pitches within 60 yards I really
had no feel for how hard to hit them. I have two new wedges in the bag this year with different lofts so I wasn't surprised they
weren't dialed in. 77 (+7) was a positive start after not playing a real round in over 5 months. Playing in just over 3 hours
was a bonus.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Sub 80 for the first time out with course conditions that leave something to be desired. Not a bad start
How did you manage, Franky?


Same. Really focusing on shortening my backswing just a bit, which is forcing me to swing about 80% and the results overall have worked out quite well. Had 3 bigtime pulls on Saturday (PW, 8 iron, driver) that cost me.

Shot a 46 on a 9 hole par 34 course. Despite the poor score overall, it was still a great afternoon with family and sunshine and even on the pulled shots, I hit them well. Not a single duff or blade or wasted shot which I was happy with and is quite rare for me even during a 9 hole round. With the pulls, I had to punch out of the trees and rescued myself about as well as I could have three different times. I felt like I hit the ball much better than the score showed. Went out with my old man, my wife's 14yo cousin who is still very much a beginner, and his Dad who didn't play, but observed as he drove the cart had a couple beers while enjoying a glorious late March afternoon. Greens were still a bit on the slow side, but I only had one 3 putt and that was from about 50' away.

Grilled food afterwards and it was just a near perfect Saturday. Overall, I'm feeling very good about my game this early in the year.

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I hit my driver really well. Hit good putts but nothing dropped. Didn't hit my irons very well. I'm chalking some of that up to the wind - it was pretty brutal out there. I can really notice the 25 lbs I lost in my swing, so that should provide some extra motivation.

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Played 9 this morning. Was hoping to get in 18 but I had a guy call and coming to my house for our home reno project and
had to cut it short. I was glad I did. I was so cashed walking nine it was ridiculous. It is a hilly course but I shouldn't be
huffing and puffing like that after 9, hills or not. Almost holed out for eagle on the finishing par 5 from 60 yards but that was
the only shot worth mentioning. I'll keep walking and trying to get my golf legs back. Started sprinkling 2 minutes after I
walked off so all in all worked out well.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Just booked my round at Streamsong Blue in 3 weeks. Early walking tee time. Just have to pray for decent weather now.
One of the top public courses in FL and probably the US.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Might get a little wet and cold this weekend but determined to play both days. Radar this morning indicated that if I get out by 8 or earlier tomorrow the rain wouldn't be here until around 11. That should be close to enough time. Sunday will be dry but colder. Anyone else going to try ?

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Looking like I might get out this afternoon. The rest of the weekend is weather dependent. I'm funny about golf weather in that in the fall I will play as long as possible but in the spring I am a bit picky.

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