Peer pressure at the Driving Range

[John_Findlay]

Is it just me or does anyone else always end up in the bay next to the neanderthal who's hitting his driver over the back fence? Strangely, dispersion doesn't seem to worry these guys. I usually just get my lob wedge out and try to knock the 30/40 yarders stiff to the nearest pin.

As an aside, I came across a pertinent Tiger Woods/Nike advert last night which I'd never seen before. I'm guessing it's a new one. Here's the link. Made me laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P17_N2iV-ZE

 

[madandra]

John, the Tiger thread is about 3 years old. I have to hold my big long neanderthal hands up and say I am one of the to55ers who hit maybe 25-40 drives out of a big basket. The truth is I don't have the ability to stiff pins from 30-40 yards. I am practicing like a feckin' mad man but as my previous post I feel it is coming good too late.

 

[Golfer2112]

I have invented a new phrase for use at the driving range:

"One for the farmer": defined as being a shot that exits the range's designated area over A SIDE FENCE (not out the park at the back).

This has now emigrated to the course whereby any wild shot is now described as "One for the farmer".

As for neaderthals cracking drives out the back of the range, my experience says that I am far more likely to be beside someone who periodically hits one of the metal lights above his bay or, worse, makes the awful THUD/clang noise when their club collides with the bay support or other such metallic item.

g_2112

 

[silliwilli]

Was at the range today and in the next bay was Walker Cup team member Rory McIroy, talk about peer pressure!!!

 

[John_Findlay]

Oh, that's a sore one, silliwilli. Did you learn anything?

Know the feeling. There are about half a dozen young guys at my club (including all the Saltman brothers) who've pretty much won every Scottish amateur event you can think of and it's embarrassing standing next to them while they do their thing on the practice range. And you hardly see a driver in their hands! It's all irons and wedges. Proper golfers. And not a lash in sight.

Looking forward to watching Saltman and McIlroy in the Walker Cup. Think we'll see a good victory this time at County Down.

 

[madandra]

I had a bit of a testosterone fuelled driving competition with John McGuiness (£10m lotto winner) We were next but one to each other one wednesday afternoon and I hit a drive and he would try and beat it and so on and so on. He had the erse from the shop bring him 5 drivers out and my wee 975D popped it past him every time

GET IN !!!!!!!!!!

 

[silliwilli]

Saw Saltman a few times on the range in Edinburgh, I lived there for 3 years. Weird, small world.

I learnt Rory could hit his girlfriends pink driver outside my Burner and that I have a long way to go hahaha

 

[Shooter_McGavin]

I am far more likely to be beside someone who periodically hits one of the metal lights above his bay or, worse, makes the awful THUD/clang noise when their club collides with the bay support or other such metallic item.

HAHA I’m with you - either that or someone who decides to talk to themselves after every shot.

 

[muttleee]

Silliwilli, were you at Blackwood when you saw McIroy? I remember seeing Garth McGimpsey there once.

 

[Junior]

In the winter I always seem to get the rowdy group of 16 year olds next to me .....when they finish their balls they start running onto the grass and getting the ones they have topped a few feet in front of them..... the joys

In the summer I just stick to the practise ground !

 

[medwayjon]

I was practising next to a knucklehead yesterday and after every shot he was swearing at his clubs and anything else he could blame, mat, tee, balls, shoes, wind, clothes, absolutely everything got ranted at except his own defieciency as it couldn't, of course, be anything wrong with him!

I ended up moving bays as he was geting on my wick.

 

[viscount17]

You want peer pressure try the range at my local. The Club pro is a GM top-25 and regularly coaches the England U-16's. Try using the range as a rank (really) beginner, crashing the ball off the bay sides (never done it with a club - yet!) while alongside some infant (who in my case could be a grandchild) calmly knocks range balls off the back fence with a wedge. It's totally impossible to creep out with a bag of clubs clanking behind you (no bother with bags on our range).

Incidentally how do you handle the kids at your range? I find talking to them and encouraging them helps (once was a Scout Leader), once they hit that first one decently they're hooked.

 

[USER1999]

When I am down the range I am in my own little world, just my bay, my clubs and my ipod to drown out the background noise.

 

[Atticus_Finch]

I was practising next to a knucklehead yesterday and after every shot he was swearing at his clubs and anything else he could blame, mat, tee, balls, shoes, wind, clothes, absolutely everything got ranted at except his own defieciency as it couldn't, of course, be anything wrong with him!

I ended up moving bays as he was geting on my wick.

You weren't at Forfar we're you? I was getting a bit annoyed with myself yesterday.

 

[holein1]

I was once beside a man who used a 3 wood but the tee was double the size of his club head but he kept smashing the ball agaisnt the metal roof and everyone at the driving range could see the tee was far to high but he kept hitting ball after ball it was a pain in the...

 

[John_Findlay]

Was up at the range today after a miserable game off the tee a couple of days ago.

Have you had days/weeks/months when you forget how to aim?!

I discovered I was aligning myself 30 yards left, which makes for some...interesting...shots. So anyway, I have a fangle aligment and ball positioning gadget;-

http://www.golfalignment.com/

Gets me some funny looks at the range, apart from from the pros, strangely enough. Never trust the 2 clubs along your line thing. I always have them at different angles! Doh.

So, I've sorted out the aligment, discovered I had the ball too far forward in my stance and I hit more solid shots than I have all year. Worked all the way through the bag with 200 balls and things are looking good.

Of course, I have my Wednesday Medal tomorrow, so I'm fully expecting to crash and burn. Ah, the joys.

 

[pjaz]

I went to the range on Sunday and this guy went in the bay behind me. I turned to see him stripped to the waist (am sure the 99% male range users appreciated this) and he then set about trying to kill every ball by hitting the life out of it - he went 200 yards in every possible direction, except straight. However, the worse (?) part being that he had his dad put the ball on the tee for him after every shot (he was about 35 and his dad 60). I don't even do that for my 3 year old.

 

[John_Findlay]

and this guy went in the bay behind me. I turned to see him stripped to the waist

Oh Lord.

You've found a gay driving range.

 

[madandra]

It must have been a pykey

 

[John_Findlay]

Surely you mean "Traveller", Madandra?

A gay, travelling golfer? Surely only on the LPGA ?