Strange things I saw in Florida

[HawkeyeMS]

Evening all, I'm at Orlando airport waiting for my flight home and thought you might be interested in a few things from the golf course...

First, I played with a guy who putted one handed. He said he started because putting two handed gave him a bad back and then realised he was better putting that way. He must have been hopeless two handed.

Next I played with a lady who played in bare feet and putted with one of these...http://www.thelongputter.com/long-putter-equipment/lopaka-golf-putters.html

Finally I observed that the American handicap system is totally flawed. A few guys I played with were actually submitting the cards for handicap but the number of rule breaches I saw when doing so was simply mind boggling. Very dodgy drops such as slicing balls into the trees and taking a drop near the fairway where they loosely guessed it would be, finding balls under bushes and dropping 20 yards away with no penalty applied, improving lies in the rough and fairway etc etc.

Finally, not exactly golf related but at the pool on the complex was this little beauty you would only find in America



Personally I played great, let's hope it continues to next weekends comp.

 

[fundy]

1 handed putting seems ok, have to admit when my short game was at its worst I chipped and pitched one handed for a while (my short game rhythm always been better with 1 hand than 2). Hope you go well in the comp next week, the hcap gap may have grown slightly this am

Safe flight back

 

[HomerJSimpson]

When you say great, how great. I entered us in the Jubilee Cup and don't want you getting cut before

 

[North Mimms]

I played with a lady in Canada who wore flip flops when playing.
She had really bad arthritis in her feet and conventional golf shoes were too uncomfortable.
She seriously outdrove me too!

 

[Ethan]

Finally I observed that the American handicap system is totally flawed. A few guys I played with were actually submitting the cards for handicap but the number of rule breaches I saw when doing so was simply mind boggling. Very dodgy drops such as slicing balls into the trees and taking a drop near the fairway where they loosely guessed it would be, finding balls under bushes and dropping 20 yards away with no penalty applied, improving lies in the rough and fairway etc etc.

That is pretty common. I have played with loads of these guys before. Another reason why US handicaps are often rather optimistic.

 

[matt71]

Did they drive off from the black tee' at the back too only for the ball to only go as far as the ladies tee's?

also that picture is quality

 

[golfdub]

The americans are just plain crazy

 

[CMAC]

US andicap system isn't flawed, its some of the players. I do note there are many like that here as well.

 

[AmandaJR]

Nice pale pink varnish on your tootsies

 

[davidy233]

Evening all, I'm at Orlando airport waiting for my flight home and thought you might be interested in a few things from the golf course...

First, I played with a guy who putted one handed. He said he started because putting two handed gave him a bad back and then realised he was better putting that way. He must have been hopeless two handed.

Next I played with a lady who played in bare feet and putted with one of these...http://www.thelongputter.com/long-putter-equipment/lopaka-golf-putters.html

I observed that the American handicap system is totally flawed. A few guys I played with were actually submitting the cards for handicap but the number of rule breaches I saw when doing so was simply mind boggling. Very dodgy drops such as slicing balls into the trees and taking a drop near the fairway where they loosely guessed it would be, finding balls under bushes and dropping 20 yards away with no penalty applied, improving lies in the rough and fairway etc etc.

Finally, not exactly golf related but at the pool on the complex was this little beauty you would only find in America

View attachment 9939

Personally I played great, let's hope it continues to next weekends comp.

I putted one handed for a while (six months or so) 15 years or so ago - and still start off one handed when I'm practicing - originally started during winter when our temp greens were brutal and so i did it to eliminate the frustration of three putting - figured that if I didn't try it wouldn't matter - surprisingly I holed a lot, and carried on doing it when the season started - single putted the first six greens in an open at Crieff that year and the two guys I played with couldn't believe what they were seeing.

I don't do it much these days (putting is a good bit of my game) - but quite like having a go one handed at a 20 footer in a tie a few holes in - I've found it messes with my opponents mind.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Currently in Florida, and having played a couple of rounds out here they do seem to have a much more causal attitude to gimmies.

The guys I played with were not using the scores for their handicap, but once they had missed a put they kind of gave themselves the next one, even though at times they were up to 6 feet away. Didn't really bother me as they were just out for fun so fair play to them, but I suspect you could have added on at least 4 or 5 to their total to get a true score.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Did they drive off from the black tee' at the back too only for the ball to only go as far as the ladies tee's?

also that picture is quality

I followed 3 Germans in Florida last week, a man and 2 women. And they all played of separate tees so it took them ages to tee off. There are usually 4 or 5 tees on US courses.

The man played of the 2nd from the back so he was adding 40/50 yards on most holes, and was not that good, driving it about 170/180 at best. One woman was playing off the 2nd from the front (which I was playing from and they were still a very decent challenge) and hiting it 120 yards at best. Where the shortest par 3 from those tees was 150 yards. And the other lady was playing off the front tees with a driver. But her swing speed was so slow she was virtually stopping. So with the lack of loft she was hitting it about 80 yards tops. Funnily when she played a par 3 and took a lofted iron she was going further.

It was painful as they were just stop starting every 20 yards down the fairway between them. The course was pretty stacked up so we ended up taking 4 and a quarter hours for 18 holes when everyone was in carts!

 

[Hacker Khan]

Also was talking to my caddie at Doral and he said about 80 to 90% of amateurs who play there overestimate their ability. And the vary majority should really move forward at least one tee to enjoy the round more and speed things up. As all they do is, as they add on at least 30/40 yards to the hole, they leave themselves very difficult carries or shots into well guarded greens that they mostly miss as they are having to hit a 4 iron, when to be able to hit and hold the green with their ability, they should be hitting a 7 at best .

He told me of one chap who wanted to play off the same tees as the pros did on the Blue Monster, and lost at least 2 boxes of balls. The guy was apparently trying to pull off shots and carries that Bubba struggled with. And failing miserably.