Big hitter?

[garyinderry]

can i point out that cold spring conditions are long gone in Liverpool. the fairways have been mostly bone dry for weeks now. the ball runs for miles on them. in fact, if anything, the greens need a good soaking to soften them up a bit.

 

[bigslice]

I can hit my driver anything from 220 - 290 (with roll) depending on loads of things
theres a boy at my away club who can easily hit his 4 iron 240 so I believe its 257 is achievable

I was once abducted by aliens for a weekend, when I eventually came round I was lying naked in my garden with an empty bottle of Absinthe.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

can i point out that cold spring conditions are long gone in Liverpool. the fairways have been mostly bone dry for weeks now. the ball runs for miles on them. in fact, if anything, the greens need a good soaking to soften them up a bit.

Garry, you dont water greens to soften them up, you water greens to keep the turf healthy.

Many clubs do long term damage to their greens by over watering in the spring.
Poor golfers lack the ability to stop the ball correctly. Many golfers who complain of hard greens very seldom actually pitch the ball on the green.
Many club members and greens chairmen/women put pressure on the greenkeeper to 'soften' the greens to make up for the members general lack of skills.
In many cases a well struck ball off a firm fairway to a firm green will stop as it is imparting a lot of backspin.
Balls hit off fairways that are soft and hairy onto soft greens will pitch and then skid without spin.

Acid test is the number of pitchmarks on your green, too many and it does not hold spin.
A good green is one where you have to search around to find your pitchmark. [or any others]

 

[stevelev]

can i point out that cold spring conditions are long gone in Liverpool. the fairways have been mostly bone dry for weeks now. the ball runs for miles on them. in fact, if anything, the greens need a good soaking to soften them up a bit.

Seconded, our green usually soft and nice to drop a ball onto. Lately they have greened up lovely, but like concrete and need to be played upto with a bump as there is no way to stop a ball on them from over 90 yards.

Bet there'll be a hosepipe ban in the next few weeks

 

[richart]

There are some long hitters out there. The longest at my club plays off scratch, used to be a Pro, and is built like a rugby lock forward.

Longest I have played with on here is easily Swinger. Driving the 18th at Camberley gives you an idea how far he can hit it, all carry. He also drove the 13th a Bearwood Lakes which must be about 340 yards. Three albatrosses in the last two years are quite impressive as well.

 

[garyinderry]

Garry, you dont water greens to soften them up, you water greens to keep the turf healthy.

I want it to rain. they are rock hard. very little pitch marks at all.

Many clubs do long term damage to their greens by over watering in the spring.
Poor golfers lack the ability to stop the ball correctly. Many golfers who complain of hard greens very seldom actually pitch the ball on the green.
what does this mean ^


In many cases a well struck ball off a firm fairway to a firm green will stop as it is imparting a lot of backspin.
I beg to differ. if they green is bone dry it becomes very hard for anyone to stop the ball.


A good green is one where you have to search around to find your pitchmark.
I would agree with this. I can think of some fantastic greens that very receptive and I also had to search for the pitchmark if there was one. [or any others]

...

 

[SRLongball]

Garry, you dont water greens to soften them up, you water greens to keep the turf healthy.

Many clubs do long term damage to their greens by over watering in the spring.
Poor golfers lack the ability to stop the ball correctly. Many golfers who complain of hard greens very seldom actually pitch the ball on the green.
Many club members and greens chairmen/women put pressure on the greenkeeper to 'soften' the greens to make up for the members general lack of skills.
In many cases a well struck ball off a firm fairway to a firm green will stop as it is imparting a lot of backspin.
Balls hit off fairways that are soft and hairy onto soft greens will pitch and then skid without spin.

Acid test is the number of pitchmarks on your green, too many and it does not hold spin.
A good green is one where you have to search around to find your pitchmark. [or any others]

A little unnecessary, as I think Garry was just trying to emphasise the dryness of the courses up that way.

I think you have caught the wrong end of the stick!

SRL

 

[SocketRocket]

There are some long hitters out there. The longest at my club plays off scratch, used to be a Pro, and is built like a rugby lock forward.

Longest I have played with on here is easily Swinger. Driving the 18th at Camberley gives you an idea how far he can hit it, all carry. He also drove the 13th a Bearwood Lakes which must be about 340 yards. Three albatrosses in the last two years are quite impressive as well.

I was of the opinion that once you became a Pro golfer you could not play as an amateur again.

 

[CMAC]

I was of the opinion that once you became a Pro golfer you could not play as an amateur again.

no you can, you just need the R&A to approve regaining your amateur status.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

A little unnecessary, as I think Garry was just trying to emphasise the dryness of the courses up that way.

I think you have caught the wrong end of the stick!

SRL

Maybe, if so sorry Garry, not personal.
All the same I really do warn against over watering of greens in the spring before the temperature rises.
It really encourages annual meadow grass growth.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

...

They pitch on the approach and the ball bounces through.

It takes a lot of courage to play a shot into a green in bouncy conditions.
Try it when practicing and the results may surprise you.

 

[Robobum]

There are some long hitters out there. The longest at my club plays off scratch, used to be a Pro, and is built like a rugby lock forward.

Longest I have played with on here is easily Swinger. Driving the 18th at Camberley gives you an idea how far he can hit it, all carry. He also drove the 13th a Bearwood Lakes which must be about 340 yards. Three albatrosses in the last two years are quite impressive as well.

Nail on the head here Rich.......

Like most, my sceptsism comes from experience. Swinger hits a very long ball (although I think he plays too safe a lot of the time and really needs to swing a bit harder!!!! ) and after partnering him in a travesty of justice loss to Dorset - he was 1 1/2 to 2 clubs longer than me when we discussed clubbing on par 3s. Which puts his 4 iron @ approx 220yds.

To be another 3 clubs longer is exceptional and, through that experience, difficult to believe the accuracy of those figures - it would be great to see it and have new standards for the definition of long though.

 

[garyinderry]

They pitch on the approach and the ball bounces through.

It takes a lot of courage to play a shot into a green in bouncy conditions.
Try it when practicing and the results may surprise you.

im still lost sorry. ive played umpteen courses since moving to england in september. ive had my fair share of hard greens. coming frm a parkland course i am always aiming to land my approach by the pin. i know exactly how hard it is to stop a ball in these conditions. at times parkland courses play like dry links. it takes me about 9holes to change my stubborn fire it at the pin approach.

ive never been a fan of running the ball in. too many bumps to knock it off course. it is a weakness in my game i will address at some point!