Practiced at the outstanding Bolingbrook Golf Academy both Saturday and Sunday. Isn't a better short game area practice spot in the suburbs that I have found.

That looks really nice. I've been saying for years that I believe the Pine Meadow practice facility is the nicest one I have found in the northern burbs.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

I need to learn how to hit a bunker shot at some point in my life.

It's awesome. There is a three hole practice course behind the driving range.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

That was the one thing I did well on Friday at Naperbrook.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

I got roped into a charity golf outing a couple years back. It was best ball for a foursome and I'm not sure more than one of my shots was used for the whole day. Did it again last year and did a little better and actually went to ther ange a few times. Its more fun now than when I did it as a kid. Dad and brother were big hitters and I was younger and it took me three strokes to hit what they did in two and they were ultra competitive and it was not fun. Hoping to get out more this year, heaven forbid I might take a lesson so I can stop slicing off the tee but the good thing out here is golf is cheap (Unless you want to run over to Silvis and play Deere Run) and you can go anytime you want and play a round.

Just not getting the consistency you want or is it more technical than that? The pros make it look so easy.
I'd love to get my sand save percentage up to around 50% or so but last year it ended just over 33%.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Got out a couple times this weekend. Took the wife to Billy Caldwell for 9 on Saturday. HIt the first 2 drives ok, but then topped every drive the rest of the day. Pretty frustrating. Back was throbbing after a couple holes. I'm 100% sure it hurt about 10x worse than anything Dustin Johnson has ever experienced, but being the non beta warrior that I am I kept playing. Was glued to the couch in pain the rest of the night.

Went to Schaumburg by myself yesterday for 18. back didn't hurt nearly as much. Settled into a punch fade off the tee, they only go about 200 yards at best but I hit 10/14 fairways. Wind was gusting which made the day tough. Putting the day before at the shag carpets at Billy Caldwell made putting an adventure. 3 putted 4 of the first 5 holes before settling down. With that short driving distance and the wind I had to hit 12 hybrids on the day, only hit 3 of them pure. Others were either fat, think or sliced. Irons and short game were solid and I somehow managed to break 90 with an 89.

Thinking about getting a lesson or two for the driver, see if there's something that can be done to help me swing that club with my handicap of not being able to turn. You guys can't imagine how frustrating it is to have one club in your bag be so much worse than every other club, especially a club you have to use on just about every hole.

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We get hosed in the Midwest with uneven bunker conditions. Pros typically have perfect sand conditions.

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Sex isn't dirty, sex isn't a crime. It's a loving act between two or more consenting adults.

-Hank Kingsley

One of my fantasies, just for giggles, is that there would be a PGA tour event held at White Pines or some other goat track. Just to see the whining and crying about the conditions.

Or they could make that fantasy come true by letting the pros play Whistling Straits in the same conditions the rest of us have to endure.

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I am god awful in getting the ball out. It's all technique. Of which I have none.

I turned around my sand game last year when I finally learned 2 keys:

1. The only part of your body that should move during the shot is your arms, everything else needs to be completely still

2. All you are trying to do is slide the club under the ball. Imagine you are trying to carve out a 3 inch piece of "turf" with the ball in the midde.


Those two things turned me from a guy who was happy when it didn't take 2 shots to get out of a bunker to a guy who actually looks forward to taking green side bunker shots.

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Yeah conditions are almost everything. I can usually get out of a bunker if it has actual sand in it. It may not be near the hole or on the green, but it will be out most of the time. When its like gravel or cart path, fuck that. I do struggle hitting out of wet sand.

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Also, with bunkers that don't have a lot of sand in it. Don't go in with your sandwedge and open the face up, it will just bounce and go right into the ball causing a blade. You may want to use a wedge or a 52 and keep the face square so that the leading edge will dig down into the sand as much as possible.

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2018
#ExtendLafleur

Just made a tee time for mid June at Sand Valley in central Wisconsin. Possibly the next big golf resort in the Midwest.
Only bad news is that it's a three hour drive each way to get there but oh well.


http://www.sandvalleygolfresort.com/golf/

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

wet sand is intimidating, but its actually the easiest sand to hit out of. Just come in a little more shallow.

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Great advice, Hawg. Too many players default to the SW from the sand.

I think it was Dave Stockton that said about greenside bunkers: "soft sand, hit it hard. Hard sand, hit it soft."

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Sex isn't dirty, sex isn't a crime. It's a loving act between two or more consenting adults.

-Hank Kingsley

Srixon's Q-Star Tour golf balls are getting a LOT of attention as of late. Played 18 holes with them the other day (with Furious) and loved them. Great feel, excellent spin, and very good distance.

Are they any more durable than a ProV for example? I wanted to try the new Bridgestone and new TaylorMade balls but probably won't bother
for another month or so. Most of the balls I am hitting right now are plugging in the ground.

Edit - I think this might be a different type of golf ball than I was looking at, but still intriguing.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

I found them to be extremely durable. Could easily play an entire round with one ball.

If it wasn't for cart paths, water, trees, and fences, I could do the same.

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Beat me to it Frank.

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I'm aiming for one sleave a round.

Srixon urethane balls are definitely more durable than ProVs. The Q Star Tour is a lower compression ball, so it might not be a good fit for your swing speed. It launches high and is designed for slower swing speeds.

Noted golf blogger Ugie let me try a sleeve and it's the perfect ball for me - the Z Star SL from a few years ago was similar, but a little dead feeling.

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Sex isn't dirty, sex isn't a crime. It's a loving act between two or more consenting adults.

-Hank Kingsley

Hawg, I am just reading your post about the sand- or lack thereof- now. That is a good tip. I will have to try that next time.

I tend to play longer bunker shots just like a regular pitch, as if I am hitting off of grass. That has seemed to work for me.

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Anyone getting out this weekend?

They "make" us take off Good Friday instead of using it as a floating holiday. Been like this for probably 4-5 years now. Weather looks
great this weekend so I will be playing 18 early morning Friday and Sunday with my buddy at our home courses. Saturday I will be playing
in a scramble tournament at Midlane in Wadsworth with 3 guys I don't know. I'm looking forward to playing as that was my home course
in high school, although it is very different than the one I played as a yute. They tore out the middle of the course to build homes when
the guy who built the course and added an extra nine went tits up on some bad deals ( this is what I heard anyway ). It is a real shame
because the original 18 was a hell of a fun track to play. They kept all of the holes on the outside of the property and made that the new front
nine, and then it transitions into a completely different 9 that was built about 20 years ago and is a totally different looking course.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Well, I haven't played in wind like that for a few years. Loved the warm weather, 30-40 mph wind
Gusts Not so much. 4-5 club winds at some points.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Furious and I played Prairie Landing and it was like playing in a tornado.

The backs of my legs are sunburned and it is glorious.

How was the course? Does it drain well? Just looked outside and had an inch of rain in the gauge, it's gonna be a long, wet walk this morning. Maybe I'll start getting some roll in May. I've lost half a dozen balls this spring by just having them plugs and I can't find them.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami