Who Here Plays Golf?

Played for about 20 years, but my last game was on Labour Day weekend 1998...shot 90. Had a 14 handicap and loved the game. However, things change! Never got to play Pebble beach, but did play PGA West (2 courses, can't remeber the names), La Quinta, PGA National, Doral, most of the courses in Myrtle beach over a ten-year span (group of 24 used to go down for a week in November). Also played a course in Hawaii, but hated it....way too much wind. I'd rather golf in the rain than with a heavy wind. It was fun.

Jack-You asked in another thread if I ever took up golf. I can tell you that for whatever reason, I could hit the ball way better in my teens that I could when I was in my late 30s and 40s. And when I say "hit the ball," I don't mean crushing it. I mean not wiffing the ball when you tee up and swing. I can't hit the ball worth a damn anymore. It's embarrassing when you tee up and take a mighty swing and don't hit the damn ball. I blamed it on my clubs so I could feel better about myself.

Pretty mediocre golfer. 18 handicap at best. Crowning glory a hole in one on the 5th hole of the Delhi Golf Club on Dec 1,2012. This is the ONLY golf course in the world with peacocks.

I've been playing since I was a kid. Always shot from mid 80's to mid 90's. I'm a 14 handicap now but I only get to play maybe 3 times a month in the spring/summer/fall here in NY. I feel that if I could play 2-3 times a week I would easily get my short game tgether and get into a single digit handicap. I'm turning 55 this week and plan to retire in 3-4 years, so hopefully my long game won't suffer too much before I can improve the short/scoring end of things.

Heading down to Myrtle Beach at the end of the month with some buddies. It's a toss up whether we will drink more beers or sink more putts.

So, how did you all get introduced to the game? Here's my story ...

We had a driving range up the corner from our house. All the kids in the neighborhood used to sneak around the nets and grab balls, because if you split them open and unwound the rubber bands you would have a decent super ball. One day a few of us got caught and were brought back to the office. The owner made us a deal. He told us to come and pick up a small basket and collect all the balls we could that were outside of the nets (behind and off to the sides where the cart couldn't go). He would let us either play a round of minature golf or hit out the balls we collected for every full basket we returned. After 50 rounds of minature golf we started hitting balls out with a borrowed 7 iron. He showed us how to swing the club and the rest is history. A batch of new golfers were born.

I could be a golfer, I mean a real golfer. I played in several tournaments with customers and friends and loved the feeling of a good shot. I played Pebble Beach with my CEO at Franklin Funds and a customer (back in the day). The front nine were wonderful- the back nine ate me alive. In 2009 I played a series of courses for the Reno Nevada Ronald McDonald Foundation Fund Raising Tour and fell in love with the Montreux Course and gated Community. I could see myself retiring there with Terry and playing every day. It's on the desert side of the Sierra Nevada's next to Lake Tahoe.

http://www.montreuxgolf.com/

I was an avid golfer in the 90's to early 2000's. I got down to a 12 handicap at one point. I play so little now that I am probably an 18. The jewel golf destinations I have played:

Pebble Beach, Spy Glass, Poppy Hills and Spanish Bay in Cali and I have played all Pinehurst courses including No. 2 where the US Open is this year. I am considering joining a club that is a 5 minute drive from me. I need to play a lot to justify the annual fee.

I play once a week year round.

Never played any of courses mentioned above, I don't enjoy traveling.

To lower your handicap you need to practice, not just play 2-3 times a week.

Hmm, jewel courses I've played, or at least ones that had some defining characteristic.

Bethpage Black - I grew up on this course. Played it many times over the decades (as well as the other 4 in the compound)
Harbor Town
The Bolders (Phoenix)
Myrtle Beach National
The Dunes (Myrtle Beach)
The Witch (Myrtle Beach)

Ive been playing for the last 20 years or so and managed to get down to a 3 handicap, nowadays Im playing off 5, i guess age takes over!

Jewel courses I've played are

Royal Lytham St Annes (UK)
Royal Birkdale (UK)
Southport and Ainsdale (UK)
Royal cape Town (South Africa)
The Belfry (UK)
Sanctuary now McDowell Mountain GC (Scottsdale)
The Witch (Myrtle Beach)
Tidewater (Myrtle Beach)
Myrtle Beach National
Val De Lobo - Portugal

I've been golfing the last two years and ten months since I started renovating my place. Unfortunately, I have no golf talent at all. I just keep at it as one good shot makes my round and gives me the push to play again.