Race Bannon's OFFICIAL Golf Talk 2023-2024 Thread

[YellowSnow]

Should I learn to hit a driver in 2023? This is the question.

You aren't a beginner anymore

I took a lesson last summer.

She was a lesbian @BleachedAnusDawg . Majority of the best NCAA woman's golfer are rug munchers.

 

[chuck]

Should I learn to hit a driver in 2023? This is the question.

Modern drivers are the easiest club in the bag to hit Yella. If my iron play, which I work on a lot, came close to my driving, which I never work on except during rounds, I'd be a scratch golfer.

Get one and figure it out. I'd look for one of the previous year's Taylor Mades, M series or Sim, to avoid spending $400+ on a club that you don't think you can hit

So true. Unless there's a crazy dogleg or a hazard that cuts through the fairway or something, I hit driver. Not because I've got a big dick or anything, but mostly because the sweet spot is so big now compared to a 3w or long iron. Better chance of hitting it straight and on the face than those other options.

I have a friend who can routinely crush it 300 yards but isn't consistently accurate. He's still usually in play and in wedge range though. What cracks me up is how he'll pick some odd hole to "play it safe" with his three iron. 81% of his iron tee shots are 100 yards shorter than his driver and in the rough, if he's lucky. It's comical.

I don't disagree with the logic here. I need to buy a modern, forgiving driver and learn to hit it.

But my 5 iron goes about 170 yds with an easy tall guy swing and generally hits the fairway. I'll take 170 in the fairway vs 240 in the rough every time.

Also, the rough at my course is fucking brutal. Here's the 1st tee. @Tequilla can confirm.

Desert courses need to have wide ass fairways or I'm saying no thanks. I don't golf on rocks with rattlesnakes and scorpions.

My driver is wildly forgiving. It really doesn't spin the ball much at all. I'll push or pull shots but they tend to go straight where I hit them.

 

[RaceBannon]

When I was learning to play in the 80's after having forgotten everything from when I was a kid a guy I played with told me to hit two five irons and a wedge and you will play bogey golf. We weren't playing 7200 yard courses

I knew he was right. It made sense. The math worked

But fuck that. I'll shoot 100 my way

 

[Bob_C]

Should I learn to hit a driver in 2023? This is the question.

Modern drivers are the easiest club in the bag to hit Yella. If my iron play, which I work on a lot, came close to my driving, which I never work on except during rounds, I'd be a scratch golfer.

Get one and figure it out. I'd look for one of the previous year's Taylor Mades, M series or Sim, to avoid spending $400+ on a club that you don't think you can hit

So true. Unless there's a crazy dogleg or a hazard that cuts through the fairway or something, I hit driver. Not because I've got a big dick or anything, but mostly because the sweet spot is so big now compared to a 3w or long iron. Better chance of hitting it straight and on the face than those other options.

I have a friend who can routinely crush it 300 yards but isn't consistently accurate. He's still usually in play and in wedge range though. What cracks me up is how he'll pick some odd hole to "play it safe" with his three iron. 81% of his iron tee shots are 100 yards shorter than his driver and in the rough, if he's lucky. It's comical.

I don't disagree with the logic here. I need to buy a modern, forgiving driver and learn to hit it.

But my 5 iron goes about 170 yds with an easy tall guy swing and generally hits the fairway. I'll take 170 in the fairway vs 240 in the rough every time.

Also, the rough at my course is fucking brutal. Here's the 1st tee. @Tequilla can confirm.

Is that Tetherow?

 

[YellowSnow]

Should I learn to hit a driver in 2023? This is the question.

Modern drivers are the easiest club in the bag to hit Yella. If my iron play, which I work on a lot, came close to my driving, which I never work on except during rounds, I'd be a scratch golfer.

Get one and figure it out. I'd look for one of the previous year's Taylor Mades, M series or Sim, to avoid spending $400+ on a club that you don't think you can hit

So true. Unless there's a crazy dogleg or a hazard that cuts through the fairway or something, I hit driver. Not because I've got a big dick or anything, but mostly because the sweet spot is so big now compared to a 3w or long iron. Better chance of hitting it straight and on the face than those other options.

I have a friend who can routinely crush it 300 yards but isn't consistently accurate. He's still usually in play and in wedge range though. What cracks me up is how he'll pick some odd hole to "play it safe" with his three iron. 81% of his iron tee shots are 100 yards shorter than his driver and in the rough, if he's lucky. It's comical.

I don't disagree with the logic here. I need to buy a modern, forgiving driver and learn to hit it.

But my 5 iron goes about 170 yds with an easy tall guy swing and generally hits the fairway. I'll take 170 in the fairway vs 240 in the rough every time.

Also, the rough at my course is fucking brutal. Here's the 1st tee. @Tequilla can confirm.

Is that Tetherow?

Yup. My 2023 life goal is to break 100 at Tetherow.

 

[YellowSnow]

When I was learning to play in the 80's after having forgotten everything from when I was a kid a guy I played with told me to hit two five irons and a wedge and you will play bogey golf. We weren't playing 7200 yard courses

I knew he was right. It made sense. The math worked

But fuck that. I'll shoot 100 my way

Regrets? You've had a few. But then again, too few to mention.

 

[Bob_C]

Should I learn to hit a driver in 2023? This is the question.

Modern drivers are the easiest club in the bag to hit Yella. If my iron play, which I work on a lot, came close to my driving, which I never work on except during rounds, I'd be a scratch golfer.

Get one and figure it out. I'd look for one of the previous year's Taylor Mades, M series or Sim, to avoid spending $400+ on a club that you don't think you can hit

So true. Unless there's a crazy dogleg or a hazard that cuts through the fairway or something, I hit driver. Not because I've got a big dick or anything, but mostly because the sweet spot is so big now compared to a 3w or long iron. Better chance of hitting it straight and on the face than those other options.

I have a friend who can routinely crush it 300 yards but isn't consistently accurate. He's still usually in play and in wedge range though. What cracks me up is how he'll pick some odd hole to "play it safe" with his three iron. 81% of his iron tee shots are 100 yards shorter than his driver and in the rough, if he's lucky. It's comical.

I don't disagree with the logic here. I need to buy a modern, forgiving driver and learn to hit it.

But my 5 iron goes about 170 yds with an easy tall guy swing and generally hits the fairway. I'll take 170 in the fairway vs 240 in the rough every time.

Also, the rough at my course is fucking brutal. Here's the 1st tee. @Tequilla can confirm.

Is that Tetherow?

Yup. My 2023 life goal is to break 100 at Tetherow.

Yeah that's a beast of a course. Played there a few years ago and hit a few that I thought were perfect and just gone. Definitely not a bomb and gouge place.

 

[YellowSnow]

Should I learn to hit a driver in 2023? This is the question.

Modern drivers are the easiest club in the bag to hit Yella. If my iron play, which I work on a lot, came close to my driving, which I never work on except during rounds, I'd be a scratch golfer.

Get one and figure it out. I'd look for one of the previous year's Taylor Mades, M series or Sim, to avoid spending $400+ on a club that you don't think you can hit

So true. Unless there's a crazy dogleg or a hazard that cuts through the fairway or something, I hit driver. Not because I've got a big dick or anything, but mostly because the sweet spot is so big now compared to a 3w or long iron. Better chance of hitting it straight and on the face than those other options.

I have a friend who can routinely crush it 300 yards but isn't consistently accurate. He's still usually in play and in wedge range though. What cracks me up is how he'll pick some odd hole to "play it safe" with his three iron. 81% of his iron tee shots are 100 yards shorter than his driver and in the rough, if he's lucky. It's comical.

I don't disagree with the logic here. I need to buy a modern, forgiving driver and learn to hit it.

But my 5 iron goes about 170 yds with an easy tall guy swing and generally hits the fairway. I'll take 170 in the fairway vs 240 in the rough every time.

Also, the rough at my course is fucking brutal. Here's the 1st tee. @Tequilla can confirm.

Is that Tetherow?

Yup. My 2023 life goal is to break 100 at Tetherow.

Yeah that's a beast of a course. Played there a few years ago and hit a few that I thought were perfect and just gone. Definitely not a bomb and gouge place.

Extremely challenging. Designed by the same dude who did Brandon Dunes. Jokes was he was going through a divorce when laying out Tetherow.

@chuck 32 years ago this was all beautiful piney woods and then in '91 a big burn came through the far West side of White Wakanda. Cleared things out and now its a high desert version of Chamber's Bay. I hope the trees don't grow back since this is my fire break.

 

[Bob_C]

Should I learn to hit a driver in 2023? This is the question.

Modern drivers are the easiest club in the bag to hit Yella. If my iron play, which I work on a lot, came close to my driving, which I never work on except during rounds, I'd be a scratch golfer.

Get one and figure it out. I'd look for one of the previous year's Taylor Mades, M series or Sim, to avoid spending $400+ on a club that you don't think you can hit

So true. Unless there's a crazy dogleg or a hazard that cuts through the fairway or something, I hit driver. Not because I've got a big dick or anything, but mostly because the sweet spot is so big now compared to a 3w or long iron. Better chance of hitting it straight and on the face than those other options.

I have a friend who can routinely crush it 300 yards but isn't consistently accurate. He's still usually in play and in wedge range though. What cracks me up is how he'll pick some odd hole to "play it safe" with his three iron. 81% of his iron tee shots are 100 yards shorter than his driver and in the rough, if he's lucky. It's comical.

I don't disagree with the logic here. I need to buy a modern, forgiving driver and learn to hit it.

But my 5 iron goes about 170 yds with an easy tall guy swing and generally hits the fairway. I'll take 170 in the fairway vs 240 in the rough every time.

Also, the rough at my course is fucking brutal. Here's the 1st tee. @Tequilla can confirm.

Is that Tetherow?

Yup. My 2023 life goal is to break 100 at Tetherow.

Yeah that's a beast of a course. Played there a few years ago and hit a few that I thought were perfect and just gone. Definitely not a bomb and gouge place.

Extremely challenging. Designed by the same dude who did Brandon Dunes. Jokes was he was going through a divorce when laying out Tetherow.

@chuck 32 years ago this was all beautiful piney woods and then in '91 a big burn came through the far West side of White Wakanda. Cleared things out and now its a high desert version of Chamber's Bay. I hope the trees don't grow back since this is my fire break.

Played Bandon and Tetherow on the same trip. Kidd's Bandon course is very subtle and straight forward, especially compared to the other courses there. Was expecting something similar at Tetherow, not the case.

 

[RaceBannon]

You're not really trying to make the tour you want to crush stronger

Norman chokes again

My point really isn't about LIV making the Tour better. I'm saying that Tour players should be thanking LIV for coming along and giving them some nice pay raises. LIV accelerated some changes that benefit those guys.

https://www.golfchannel.com/news/hi...rman-still-challenging-most-powerful-men-golf

Little history

 

[BleachedAnusDawg]

Rory might want to shut up and thank his LIV peers and Greg.
https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/35762063/pga-tour-revamps-format-designated-events-no-cuts

In what commissioner Jay Monahan described as decisions that will "transform and set the future direction" of the PGA Tour, the tour's policy board voted Tuesday night to dramatically change the format for future designated events, which will have smaller fields and no cuts.

In a memo to PGA Tour members Wednesday, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN, Monahan announced that eight designated events in 2024 and beyond will have fields between 70 to 80 players and no cuts. It's another wave of dramatic changes as the PGA Tour continues to try to fend off a threat from the Saudi-financed LIV Golf League.

 

[RaceBannon]

I miss Tiger



If Tiger opened with 65 you could hang the banner.

Rahm was 8 ahead of Rory. Now 2

Now 5 behind the lead

 

[YellowSnow]

I miss Tiger

View attachment 56086

If Tiger opened with 65 you could hang the banner.

Rahm was 8 ahead of Rory. Now 2

Now 5 behind the lead

Tiger should have lifted less, drank and few more beers and smoked a few cigs. He'd probably have few more majors in 'em if he followed this path.

 

[Tequilla]

Should I learn to hit a driver in 2023? This is the question.

Modern drivers are the easiest club in the bag to hit Yella. If my iron play, which I work on a lot, came close to my driving, which I never work on except during rounds, I'd be a scratch golfer.

Get one and figure it out. I'd look for one of the previous year's Taylor Mades, M series or Sim, to avoid spending $400+ on a club that you don't think you can hit

So true. Unless there's a crazy dogleg or a hazard that cuts through the fairway or something, I hit driver. Not because I've got a big dick or anything, but mostly because the sweet spot is so big now compared to a 3w or long iron. Better chance of hitting it straight and on the face than those other options.

I have a friend who can routinely crush it 300 yards but isn't consistently accurate. He's still usually in play and in wedge range though. What cracks me up is how he'll pick some odd hole to "play it safe" with his three iron. 81% of his iron tee shots are 100 yards shorter than his driver and in the rough, if he's lucky. It's comical.

I don't disagree with the logic here. I need to buy a modern, forgiving driver and learn to hit it.

But my 5 iron goes about 170 yds with an easy tall guy swing and generally hits the fairway. I'll take 170 in the fairway vs 240 in the rough every time.

Also, the rough at my course is fucking brutal. Here's the 1st tee. @Tequilla can confirm.

I'll take the extra 70 yards every day of the week

Your course is brutal for a number of reasons ... that said the fairways there are generally fairly wide so as long as you get some kind of consistent swing with your driver where you can rely on the ball flight then you'll never talk yourself out of the driver again

 

[Tequilla]

Should I learn to hit a driver in 2023? This is the question.

You aren't a beginner anymore

I took a lesson last summer.

She was a lesbian @BleachedAnusDawg . Majority of the best NCAA woman's golfer are rug munchers.

She'd absolutely kick my ass

Heading to the NW is a good business decision for her

 

[Tequilla]

Should I learn to hit a driver in 2023? This is the question.

Modern drivers are the easiest club in the bag to hit Yella. If my iron play, which I work on a lot, came close to my driving, which I never work on except during rounds, I'd be a scratch golfer.

Get one and figure it out. I'd look for one of the previous year's Taylor Mades, M series or Sim, to avoid spending $400+ on a club that you don't think you can hit

So true. Unless there's a crazy dogleg or a hazard that cuts through the fairway or something, I hit driver. Not because I've got a big dick or anything, but mostly because the sweet spot is so big now compared to a 3w or long iron. Better chance of hitting it straight and on the face than those other options.

I have a friend who can routinely crush it 300 yards but isn't consistently accurate. He's still usually in play and in wedge range though. What cracks me up is how he'll pick some odd hole to "play it safe" with his three iron. 81% of his iron tee shots are 100 yards shorter than his driver and in the rough, if he's lucky. It's comical.

I don't disagree with the logic here. I need to buy a modern, forgiving driver and learn to hit it.

But my 5 iron goes about 170 yds with an easy tall guy swing and generally hits the fairway. I'll take 170 in the fairway vs 240 in the rough every time.

Also, the rough at my course is fucking brutal. Here's the 1st tee. @Tequilla can confirm.

Is that Tetherow?

Yup. My 2023 life goal is to break 100 at Tetherow.

Yeah that's a beast of a course. Played there a few years ago and hit a few that I thought were perfect and just gone. Definitely not a bomb and gouge place.

Don't get me started on Tetherow ...

I've played over 60 courses located on Golf Digest's Top 100 Public Course listing dating back to the 2005 list or whatnot (there's less than 200 courses total on that list that are still operating and/or still public and/or if private I played them when they were still public).

Tetherow is BY FAR at the bottom 3 or 5 of the courses that I've played on the list. The design of the course is largely fine but the course is way too rough around the edges for someone playing the course here and there. I've hit good shots there that just ended up terribly . A buddy of mine had about a 25 foot birdie putt, proceeded to putt it off the green (nobody thought he hit a bad putt) and it went down the false front about 40 yards ... he ended up picking up his ball after about 3 chips came back to his feet.

If I'm in Bend I'll play Tetherow out of respect to Yellow Pisser provided I'm playing with him. That said, there are plenty of other courses in the area that I like far better at equal or more favorable prices.

On another note Pisser, I need you to find someone who is a member at Brasada Ranch (Canyons) as that's pretty much the only course that I haven't played in Bend (excluding Silvies Ranch) that is public or semi-private. If I'm going to play Tetherow with you we've got to find somewhere else that I'll be in a happier mood in after 18.

 

[Tequilla]

Really good finish today ...

You never really think of Bay Hill as being one of the toughest tests on tour but it had everybody playing defensive today.

 

[RaceBannon]

According to the announcers it was the toughest non major last year

The format is delivering. Was a good finish

 

[Bob_C]

Should I learn to hit a driver in 2023? This is the question.

Modern drivers are the easiest club in the bag to hit Yella. If my iron play, which I work on a lot, came close to my driving, which I never work on except during rounds, I'd be a scratch golfer.

Get one and figure it out. I'd look for one of the previous year's Taylor Mades, M series or Sim, to avoid spending $400+ on a club that you don't think you can hit

So true. Unless there's a crazy dogleg or a hazard that cuts through the fairway or something, I hit driver. Not because I've got a big dick or anything, but mostly because the sweet spot is so big now compared to a 3w or long iron. Better chance of hitting it straight and on the face than those other options.

I have a friend who can routinely crush it 300 yards but isn't consistently accurate. He's still usually in play and in wedge range though. What cracks me up is how he'll pick some odd hole to "play it safe" with his three iron. 81% of his iron tee shots are 100 yards shorter than his driver and in the rough, if he's lucky. It's comical.

I don't disagree with the logic here. I need to buy a modern, forgiving driver and learn to hit it.

But my 5 iron goes about 170 yds with an easy tall guy swing and generally hits the fairway. I'll take 170 in the fairway vs 240 in the rough every time.

Also, the rough at my course is fucking brutal. Here's the 1st tee. @Tequilla can confirm.

Is that Tetherow?

Yup. My 2023 life goal is to break 100 at Tetherow.

Yeah that's a beast of a course. Played there a few years ago and hit a few that I thought were perfect and just gone. Definitely not a bomb and gouge place.

Don't get me started on Tetherow ...

I've played over 60 courses located on Golf Digest's Top 100 Public Course listing dating back to the 2005 list or whatnot (there's less than 200 courses total on that list that are still operating and/or still public and/or if private I played them when they were still public).

Tetherow is BY FAR at the bottom 3 or 5 of the courses that I've played on the list. The design of the course is largely fine but the course is way too rough around the edges for someone playing the course here and there. I've hit good shots there that just ended up terribly . A buddy of mine had about a 25 foot birdie putt, proceeded to putt it off the green (nobody thought he hit a bad putt) and it went down the false front about 40 yards ... he ended up picking up his ball after about 3 chips came back to his feet.

If I'm in Bend I'll play Tetherow out of respect to Yellow Pisser provided I'm playing with him. That said, there are plenty of other courses in the area that I like far better at equal or more favorable prices.

On another note Pisser, I need you to find someone who is a member at Brasada Ranch (Canyons) as that's pretty much the only course that I haven't played in Bend (excluding Silvies Ranch) that is public or semi-private. If I'm going to play Tetherow with you we've got to find somewhere else that I'll be in a happier mood in after 18.

Super penalizing courses are fine, provided you know what is there and accept that risk on decision making end. When you add in the blind hazards it gets stupid. It reminds me of Las Sendas in Mesa if anyone has played there.

 

[Bob_C]

Really good finish today ...

You never really think of Bay Hill as being one of the toughest tests on tour but it had everybody playing defensive today.

Bay Hill has been tough now for a fewe years. -9 on a par 72 is no joke and it's been even tougher in recent years I believe.

Bay Hill kind of blows from an architecture standpoint, and is a course that I have no interest in playing. But I'd easily rather watch these guys struggle than watch them stop 5i's on a dime.