Anyone play golf?

[bluntman]

This is probably the only sport that I can now play due to my bad shoulder (overhand motions are painful). Can anyone share tips on what equipment a beginner should be looking at and where to buy?

[Dr Butcher]

I just upgraded my irons to Cleveland TA5\'s last year. It figures, they stopped making them for this model year. Anyway, they\'re decent for a beginner / high handicapper because they\'re pretty forgiving. I got a great deal on them from Ebay, they retailed for $500 Cdn but I got them for $180 US. Basically what you should do is try out a few clubs at Golf Town or somewhere like that and decide what feels best for you. You don\'t necessarily need to spend a huge chunk of cash to find clubs that will suit you. I have been in love with the Cleveland Launcher 460 for the past 6 months but the high cost has kept me away. Yesterday I tried out my buddies no-name titanium 330cc driver and I was crushing the ball. My garbage driver couldn\'t even compare.... Before you spend any money, try to find some demo days, most driving ranges have club manufacturers come around to demo their stuff, you just need to keep your eye open.

Jazz golf is a Canadian company who\'s starting to make a name for themselves. I haven\'t had the chance to hit any of their stuff, but I figure I\'d try and send a shout out to a Canadian manufacturer.....

Here are a couple of links you may find interesting:

http://www.golfreview.com/reviewscrx.aspx

http://www.learnaboutgolf.com/beginner/buying.html

Couple of tips I should warn you about buying from ebay are:

1. Make sure the stuff is genuine.
2. Watch shipping costs especially if the seller sends stuff via UPS from the USA, brokerage charges can be a killer to a sweet deal you may find.

[bluntman]

Thanks for the tips and the links.

I went by Costco the other day and saw a TaylorMade 580xd driver, is that any good? Just kidding, it must be, it\'s $435!

[Derksen]

Hey Man, we gotta get out and whack the white thing around. I am a newbie too!

[Dr Butcher]

I believe one of the above links directs you to Pinemeadow golf, they\'ve got an article on name brand vs. clone clubs. When you buy name brand you don\'t necessarily buy a better club than the clones, but you\'re paying for all of the guys they sponsor and advertising costs as well. This is why I suggest trying out some clubs first. You may find a set for $250 that feels just as good or even better than a $900 set. Price doesn\'t always mean something is better. Like I said, my buddy has a clone driver which I was in love with, if I could find something like that I\'d be more than happy.

[bluntman]

Originally posted by Derksen


Hey Man, we gotta get out and whack the white thing around. I am a newbie too!

I\'m there! I don\'t want to be the only one \"whiffing\" the ball.

[dredd2099]

does playing at putting edge and the like count?
hehehe

too cheap to get into that
but every1 at my work seems to play golf
and they rave bout their TaylorMade\'s
expensive stuff

[Derksen]

Yeah, that counts. Would you prefer I call you Tiger or Mr. Weir?

edit:sp

[bluntman]

I think they\'re both lefties right, so either on is fine since I hit left handed too.

[Dr Butcher]

Us lefties need to make our voices heard! I was watching the golf channel the other day and they said that the reason there\'s more left handed clubs on the market these days is because of us Canadians! I think they said that 30% of us shoot lefty. Actually, in my foursome on Monday 3 of us were left handed.

There still needs to be more selection of left handed clubs, I hate having to \'settle\' for a club because what I really want isn\'t available in that shaft type or flex.... :sarc

[miggiddy]

I\'m a lefty as well. Altho I can hit right too. So you could say I \"swing both ways\"....WAIT a sec...that doesn\'t sound good:hoho

At the driving range I use my left drivers, but for the hell of it I try swinging right for fun. Either way it\'s a horrible site to see. The ball slices in every direction. I keep thinking how I\'d like to take lessons, but then the money factor kicks in and I know I\'m not dedicated to get up at 6 AM to hit a ball and chase it down the field, and pay some crazy amount. I just can\'t afford it :( One day I\'ll retire and learn how to play while wearing plad pants with the belt over my stomach, with white shoes and some pastel coloured shirt. :D

[bluntman]

Originally posted by miggiddy


I\'m a lefty as well. Altho I can hit right too. So you could say I \"swing both ways\"....WAIT a sec...that doesn\'t sound good:hoho


It\'s almost as bad as saying that you\'re going to \"play the back nine\".

[miggiddy]

LOL:hoho :D

That\'s why I don\'t play golf at all :)

well more because I\'m crap at it

[Xenon]

I PLAY GOLF!!! :D

...

Just... don\'t play it... well... :sarc

[Newlook]

I play mini golf :D

[wtom]

Originally posted by Newlook


I play mini golf :D

Okay I just have to say this...

I play bedroom golf ... but too bad my gf won\'t accept a threesome. http://www.mazda3forums.com/images2/smilies/boink.gif

[mikespike]

LOVE IT

[bluntman]

Aside from Golf Town, where is a good place to buy a beginner\'s set of clubs? I\'ve tried the Wilson Hyperspeed and like them a lot, but any other suggestions would be much appreciated.

[rbart4506]

Well I don\'t play golf, but I help design the courses....

I work for an engineering consulting firm and we provide design services for Golf Course Developers. Our main client has been Clublink, so if you\'ve played at Rattlesnake, Glencairn or Caledon Woods, you have seen some of my handy work. We also work with other developers, but tend to stick with high end courses....

I look after the design of the parking lots, the golf course drainage and water management system and help the Architect with the movement of earth. We also take care of the permit application and making sure all the authorities are happy with what is going on...

It\'s a cool niche to be in....

Rich

[Derksen]

Hey Bluntman, how\'s the swing? Watch out for those white minivans.... they come out of nowhere:D :D

[miggiddy]

Oh yeah how was the driving range?

[bluntman]

The driving range was great, especially for a first timer like me. The pitching/putting green was different story. As Derksen mentioned, I had a little run in with a white minivan. Just a word of warning, don\'t park anywhere near a pitching/putting green, especially if you see me there! ;) Let\'s just say that golf balls really fly off the club without too much effort.

[bluntman]

Originally posted by wtom



Originally posted by Newlook


I play mini golf :D

Okay I just have to say this...

I play bedroom golf ... but too bad my gf won\'t accept a threesome. http://www.mazda3forums.com/images2/smilies/boink.gif

So...you play the back nine eh?

[miggiddy]

Originally posted by bluntman


The driving range was great, especially for a first timer like me. The pitching/putting green was different story. As Derksen mentioned, I had a little run in with a white minivan. Just a word of warning, don\'t park anywhere near a pitching/putting green, especially if you see me there! ;) Let\'s just say that golf balls really fly off the club without too much effort.

:hoho I\'ll keep that in mind, thanks for the warning.

[sw0rdfish]

Golf is a lot of fun... I\'m just not that great at it... find a good group to go with, and it\'s a blast.

As for clubs, believe it or not, Canadian Tire had some nice sets onsale for next to nothing [ 200 bucks MAX ] and for a begginer set, that\'s not a bad deal. Once you get into it you can upgrade the Driver, putter, 7iron, etc...

[bluntman]

I actually bought a set just before our meet last Saturday (ahem!). For a little over $300 I was able to pick up an 11 piece set (8 irons and 3 woods, all with graphite shafts) and a bag at DiMarco Golf. After the meet Derksen and I hit a bucket of balls at a nearby range...I managed to hit a minivan! :D

[Soulcrusher]

LOLZ - as long as you didn\'t commit the cardinal sin of hitting another Mazda3!!! :p

Any other car is fine, including the Mazda6 :) j/k there TM3 ... don\'t banish me, PLEASE!

[bluntman]

When I\'m on the putting green anything is fair game! :D

[Derksen]

Originally posted by bluntman


When I\'m on the putting green anything is fair game! :D

I\'m not sure if we are talking about women still, or the game of golf???

[bluntman]

I didn\'t say anyone. :sarc :D

[Xenon]

Call me up next time you people go to the range... I\'d like to go... see how rusty I\'ve gotten after a year of golf absenteeism

[Derksen]

Originally posted by bluntman


When I\'m on the putting green anything is fair game! :D

Hey... I just wasn\'t sure what you meant by \'putting green\'???

[cloud]

Just bought Mazda 3 Sedan....
I didn\'t realize my golf bag didn\'t fit in the trunk :( (depth is good..but width is lacking...)

[bluntman]

Derksen\'s bag and clubs fit in his sedan\'s trunk sideways with little or no effort.

[Dr Butcher]

I have a cart attached to my bag and I already have problems fitting it into the car I usually take golfing. I have to take my driver out of the bag for it to fit. Hopefully I\'ll be able to fit the cart and bag into my sedan. It\'d be a pain to have to take the bag off of the cart whenever I want to play....

[Derksen]

Originally posted by Dr Butcher


I have a cart attached to my bag and I already have problems fitting it into the car I usually take golfing. I have to take my driver out of the bag for it to fit. Hopefully I\'ll be able to fit the cart and bag into my sedan. It\'d be a pain to have to take the bag off of the cart whenever I want to play....

Well Doc, I think that you\'re out of luck. My golf bag fits snug in my trunk. A very close fit. I think that you are either going to have to fold your seat down, or remove the cart. Don\'t kill the messanger!:(

[cloud]

well.. even diagonally (which is how I have it setup now..).. the bottom of the golf bag kind of \"scratches\" the side of the trunk.. it\'s a pretty tight fit.. (I have a carry bag and a 45 inch driver.. but I don\'t imagine any \"normal\" driver(44~46) and a bag would fit in the trunk of the sedan in flat horizontal way..) (maybe I can have a look when I attend one of the TM meetings..)

Yeah..it\'s probably same thing I have to do... take the driver out of the bag...

[Dr Butcher]

Ah well, my sis drives an Oldsmobile Alero and she has to take her cart off the bag whenever she golfs. It\'s not such a big deal I guess. I\'ll just leave it apart until I hit the course, then take it apart again until the next time I go out.

What really worries me is my hockey equipment, I\'ve got a pretty big bag and long sticks. I know for a fact there\'s no way in hell my sticks will fit in the trunk. Man, I\'ve had a B3000 for 8 years, cargo capacity has never been an issue.

[Xenon]

In my blue hatch, I have to fold down one of the 60/40 seats to get my bag in...

It is very nice that the seats fold flush to the trunk floor :D

Nice little detail there.

[rbart4506]

You want to see a tightly packed car...Wait about a month and I\'ll get some photos of our car all packed for our honeymoon to North Carolina and Tennessee....

We\'ll fold down the rear seats and have two full suspension mountain bikes in the back...All or biking equipment, which include shorts, jerseys, shoes, helmets, wheels, various tools and camelbaks. We\'ll also have a bike rack back there that will be pulled out once we get to NC and Tenn. Then we\'ll have the food and cooler we are taking, plus all of our general clothing and other travel stuff...

I\'m sure it will be a tight fit, but if we could get it all in our Protege it should be snap in the 3. I think the higher roof line is going to make it easier to get the bikes in the back. At least I hope that translates into higher door openings, it was pretty tight in the Protege....

Man I can\'t wait for that day to come!!!

ROAD TRIP!!!!

Rich