Well, if you are coming for a niner game, let me know too, because i haven't been to one yet, and I should go sometime... and my brother will be keen too. Good times.

 

Phoenix in August, are you crazy LOL. At least you'd know what you you have to deal with.
I need to make it to arizona for some baseball games sometime so we'll have to get some golf in too if you move. Road trip :)

 

So any word on the job?

 

Whats up with your scores?I did not see you post your round from Oxbow,or any other scores.It is not like you to go days between rounds in the summer.

 

Where is the hole by hole description on your last few scores?

 

1000 posts. Congrats.
Keep up the good work.

 

You changed names again huh?

 

Hey, i'm back to oobgolf i quit because it was to much work

 

Are you in Texas yet ?

 

Ask that question on the feedback forum.I am sure someone knows.

 

There is a setting somewhere that allows you to either track all of your scores or just the current year. I switched mine to the current year at some point last summer. I imagine it reset to 0 with the new year. Now I can't find the setting again to switch it back. lol

 

What happened to your score count?It says 0 scores entered.

 

After trying to justify posting my seasonal handicap a couple of different ways, I decided there was really only one fair way to do it. I recorded all of my rounds up to the round at Crystal Lakes as actual rounds, and everything since has been out of season. I think it's good to set a date where the season ends completely, and the result is my handicap is where it has been hovering around for the past five months.

 

Well...the fact that it is part of my membership definitely plays a part in it being my favorite course:)

 

It's great to hear your favorite course is also the one you have a membership to.

 

Well...I've learned to be careful of what I wish for...I just might get it:)

The nicest, best maintained course I have ever played is the Pine to Palm course at Detroit Country Club (Detroit Lakes, MN). I'd love to play it again, but if those roughs aren't cut short, that course would be very, very difficult.

I think the most unique is probably the Leonard Country Club. When we played it, it was extremely wet. But every hole on that course has a characteristic that makes it stand out.

The coolest course I've played is easily Wildflower near Detroit Lakes, MN. What pretty much sums this course up is the dialogue we had on hole 2. I hit a pretty nice hybrid shot from the rough, and my buddy blurted out, "that one might be in 'the house'". WTF? There is a house in the middle of the fairway? Well..not quite...but there is an old abandoned house just to the right of the green.

My favorite, though, is still Osgood.

 

Hey Bryan, I see you're doing some course reviews this morning. So what is now your favorite course?

You've been playing some different courses and would probably like to play some of the new ones a second time before you really know how it rates; but which course are you most eager to play again?

 

lol....hilarious:)

 

Oh nevermind; I just looked at that post again; you're right; you didn't say you played the NXT's, you were responding to Scott Nolan's post and he said he played them and like them.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

Hey Bryan, maybe this will jog your memory regarding your post:

oobgolf.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=927&postdays=

 

Hmm....I don't think that was me. I started playing Top Flite's, then switched to whatever I could find before settling on the Callaway Warbird. I've probably played a few NXT Tours, but they really didn't stick out. I also don't know valuable my opinion is on balls since I actually prefer a ball that doesn't spin as much (at the moment).

 

Hey Bryan, my bro-in-law is looking into switching his ball to the NXT Tour. I saw in a post that you played the NXT's. So do you like them? Recommend them? Thanks.

 

lol....

I work full time, 7:30 to 4:30 on Tuesday through Saturday. I'm also going to school, and about the only life I have besides that is golf. I play every day mostly because it's the only way I get any excercise, and my doctor says that's starting to become pretty important at my age. So that's my story, and I'm sticking to it:)

 

I have to ask....are you self employed or retired or in school? Trying to figure out how your can play EVERY DAY lol....

 

Wow! Take a look at that handicap; getting so close to breaking into the teens. I have no doubt you'll be there by the end of August' you're playing great golf.

 

Hey bjohn; my bro-in-law purchased the Adams A4 OS set a couple weeks ago. They're nice clubs; he loves em. I hope you love em too.

 

Looks like I'll get to play two new courses this weekend. Sunday will be Ada, Minnesota's Heart of the Valley course, which looks to be a fun little nine hole jaunt. I don't know if Strukes will be with me or not that day...I haven't asked him yet. Then, on Tuesday, I'm playing the Forest Hills course in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. That is supposed to be one of the nicest two or three public courses within 100 miles of the Fargo area (the other being Wildflower, also in Detroit Lakes). Looks to be a fun weekend.

 

play a round without keeping all the notes on each hole. don't worry about your handicap, it will continue to lower the more you play, but go out and just play without putting any pressure on yourself about improving. I did that yesterday and it was a very enjoyable experience.

 

Looking at my handicap index, right now is the time when I have the opportunity to really improve my handicap. That's the good news. The bad news is that it's aerating season right now, and my putting was just starting to come around.

 

Hey bjohn; look at your scores posted above. You're consistency is something I'd love to have. You are playing good, solid golf; keep it up.

 

Hey bjohn; I see you played at Orange Lake on Sunday. You staying there? How's the course? I'm going to Orange Lake Resort next month.

 

Look at that; you have brought your scoring average under 100. Keep up the good work.

 

Well...my monster putt was only about 30', but it was over a mound with rough on it on a half-moon shaped green. I've been meaning to post on the forum about it...asking how others would play the shot. I considered it a success taking a 3-putt from there.

 

Yeah, that's my ball mark next to the pin; only 6 inches away. I was 6 inches from a HIO! The more I think about it the more excited about it I get. That's so close.

Yeah, I'd love to see your pics of your close encounter.

How long was your monster putt?

 

I'd upload the pictures now, but I don't appear to have a USB cable handy. Have to wait until I get home tonight.

 

Is that your ball mark next to the pin? You do know that, even though you probably fixed it, it's going to mess with everyone for the rest of the day, right?

Nice shot...I had one of those recently in the dark....right on the lip. I suppose I should post a picture of that one along with the monster putt I had no chance of making last week (and didn't).

 

Yeah, I guess any temp is good enough to golf; just don't expect to play well while being cold. Also, have you noticed how much less distance you get on the ball when it's cold out? The ball loses lots of compression when cold huh?

Here's the link to the picture of my near HIO that I promised I would post. This is the only good thing that came from my round on Sunday.

www.flickr.com/photos/43488548@N06/4008301730/

 

Well....any temp is good enough to golf:) I've been out in 35 degree weather this year waiting for the greens to thaw. But when you throw in that COLD north wind and some damp roughs, it makes for an excruciating experience. My shoes are waterproof, but when my pants are soaked halfway up to the knees, it doesn't make much difference. My socks get wet from my pants, and then my shoes effectively become buckets that don't dry out.

I'll be hitting the indoor driving range this week in preparation for the weekend. My shift changes on Monday, so after-work rounds are done for the year.

 

Yeah, those are good enough temps for golf. I hope you end the year on a positive note; unlike what I've been doing lately.

 

Well....the extended forecast is showing a high of 52 on Saturday and 60 on Sunday. I just might get in a couple more rounds.

 

We need to do a little Indian Summer dance don't we? I'd love to see it warm up again; at least for a week or so.

I'm so thankful I don't live as far north as you or Activesense. I'd hate to have snow this early in the year.

The temps here are expected to be around 60 for the high and 40 for the low pretty much all this week. This is too chilly for my liking.

 

I think I'm throwing in the towel on the golf season. It's cold outside, and it's wet. The extended forecast is calling for no warm-up. Normally we get an Indian Summer this time of year. However, this year we went from a high of 90 on a Friday to frost and a high of 35 on Sunday. It's 25 degrees right now, and it's supposed to snow tonight.

 

I actually have a new eye prescription I'm going to fill tonight...a new-fangled kind of prism that is supposed to help with my strabismus. I'm hoping that this helps me line up my shots.

 

Yeah, I'm with you bjohn; if the weather is nice enough, I want to hit the course not the range.

I'm in desperate need of hitting the range to work on hitting my woods; but with only a few weeks of decent weather, I doubt I'll take the time to hit the range.

 

Consistency; yeah, I'll take some of that too please.

 

Consistency? Hitting well when I play with Strukes? Seriously....I play like crap when I'm with him, but I'm starting to think I know why. I'll have to analyze that.

But if you're talking about a fundamental aspect of the game, it would definitely be my iron play. I have no confidence whatsoever when I'm between, say, 90 yards and 160 yards especially with trouble on the left. There are a few par 3's in this area that absolutely terrify me because of trouble on the left.

 

Okay bjohn; if you could improve one aspect of your game at this point; what would you like to see improved?

 

Ugh...35 mph gusts of wind today...and I might not get another chance to go for a few days....looks like it will be an interesting round tonight.

 

Bah...the day after I golfed Maple River, the course was mapped on my GPS unit. Bah.

 

We're planning on playing 18 again next Monday. It will likely be at Ponderosa if my new GPS app has that course mapped by then. Ponderosa is a 9 hole course that is par 36, and we like to play it twice. I like to record the 9-hole rounds separately, though, so all of the hole one stats stay with hole one. Otherwise, that all depends on how well my driver is going. I don't like to play regulation courses without a solid driver because it makes the course seem twice as long. Our forcast is calling for a lot of rain over the next week as well, so at this point, it's going to rely on luck. My nephew is coming to town over a weekend in October, and I'm hoping there is still some golfing weather left for him by that point. I'm looking forward to taking him to Osgood...

 

I'd like to get out a few more times but the weather has turned crappy here in Ohio. It seems to do nothing but rain lately; we've received about 6 inches of rain in the last week. This makes for some very soggy golf.

 

Hey bjohn; that's quite alright. I know encouragement is much needed in the game of golf; it's such a frustrating sport at times.

With only about a month of golf left in ND, are you planning on playing anymore 18 hole rounds?

 

My handicap is about to jump up a few points with one of my best rounds about to fall off the bottom....

 

ya...I was on fire the last few days...and then I came back down to earth today. I think I had forgotten what it was like to really have a bad round.

 

Holy crap, look what your last two rounds have done for your hcp and scoring average.

 

Thanks...all dispite the fact that I don't feel like I'm playing all that well. Also...my scoring average is under 100, but I have yet to score under 100 on a regulation 18 hole course....

 

Congrats on getting your scoring avg under 100; your hcp continues to drop as well. Nice job.

 

Yeah, good point.

 

Well...I doubt I'll wash my phone since it has a belt clip that is actually quite sturdy:)

 

Sounds like a good deal since you were getting the phone anyway.

Plus, you won't be out $350 if you happen to wash your phone :)

 

You have to keep in mind that you have to purchase the unit. I was able to purchase the latest model, the Tour, for $100 with my new every two upgrade through Verizon (there were some free models). Then, you have to pay for a data plan, which comes to about $35 a month for me since my employer is elegible for a discount. However, I was purchasing these two things anyway, so the only true cost was the price of the application. I bought the lifetime membership for $85, and it is transferrable to a different unit two years down the road when I upgrade my phone again. So....even if I have to buy third-party hardware to get a better functioning GPS unit, the price will end up being well under half of what the GolfBuddy unit cost. The only trick now is to get used to switching between apps on the course.

 

Really? I didn't expect that answer at all.

It sounds like a golfer is much better to buy a Blackberry (or comparable) and the GPS app. I bet you didn't even pay half as much as the Golf Buddy either; did you?

 

There is no comparison whatsoever. The only question I have is how well the GPS will update on the Blackberry, and I'll likely get an idea of that tonight if the weather holds out. The application is miles ahead of what I was getting with GolfBuddy.

 

You liking the Blackberry and the ability to keep your score on your phone?

How does the GPS app compare to your Golf Buddy?

 

Thanks, GD. Now here is to hoping that I can keep my handicap under 30.

 

Congrats bjohn on getting your hcp under 30.

Good luck to you in the scramble. Have fun most of all.

 

Tomorrow is the big day....four man scramble at the Moorhead Country Club. I'm the weak link in our team with a handicap that just passed 30. I'm nervous about that, but overall, I think it will be a lot of fun.

 

I'm going mobile!

I got my new Blackberry last night, so starting tomorrow, I'm going to start entering scores while on the course. I apologize if anyone got one of those fancy emails stating that I was starting a live round. I had to make sure I knew how to use the site before I hit the course. I didn't want to slow anyone up.

 

also thought I'd note that once I got home and saw that my 44 tonight (combined with my 48 last night) lowered my handicap by 1/10 of a stroke, the round started not looking so bad.

 

I've been trying to play Osgood more lately. There are more opportunities to use a driver, and there is more margin for error of the tees. The greens are more challenging, but they are also in nicer shape. However, most importantly, there are a lot of heavy risk/reward scenarios. Plus, there are very few trees...and I hate trees.

I'd like to start playing regulation courses reguarly next year, but I think I'm still two steps away from that. Osgood is the first step.

 

I think I'm disappointed in the 44 I shot today because I started off so strong, and I was hitting most of my clubs so well.

That said, there is actually a lot of variety at Prairiewood. Holes 1, 4, and 8 actually have a lot of room for error. Now that you mention it, though, there really isn't much margin for error on the rest of the course. There isn't a hole lot of water, but what they have is really strategically placed. There are a couple of holes where missing a certain way isn't that bad...hole 7, for instance. Missing to the left of the green makes par still possible. Missing to the right makes bogey a good score. Hole six...missing the fairway to the left adds at least a stroke. Miss to the right, and par is still possible.

 

I try to compare Prariewood with my home course, Adams Co CC, since they are similar in par and length; and I know that the 44 you had today is a good score.
For the first half of this year, I was averaging in the mid 40's at ACCC. If Prariewood is anything like ACCC there isn't much room for error. ACCC is a short course but sure is tight and makes the golfer be accurate on all shots or it is very easy to have a bad round.
The thing that has helped me lower my scores at ACCC is knowing where I can miss shots. I even wrote myself some notes for my league matches reminding myself where I should be aiming on each hole to ensure I stay away from penalizing shots.

How open or tight is Prariewood compared to some of the other courses you've played?

 

My back is still tight. It doesn't really hurt as much as it's now just cumbersome. I played 9 holes tonight. It's hard to tell whether or not my back was affecting my swing.

 

How's the back feeling? Getting better? You gonna try and get out to play a few holes this eve?

 

Well...if you ever play Prairiewood, my advice is to stay on the left side of the fairway on your second shot unless you can punch the ball well.

 

Love the pictures of the "beer tree". I see what you mean; it makes hole 4 tough. I can see me constantly having trouble with that tree. Not much room for error.

 

Hey bjohn, I understand it's hard to pick a favorite course; it sounds like you have many good courses in your area in which to choose from.

I hope you like your Warbirds. I don't have much experience with Callaway balls except the HX Hot + balls that I used for the majority of the round last Sunday.

 

I also thought I'd mention that I just ordered a bunch of Callaway Warbirds, so I'll be playing exclusively with those for awhile (since you asked before:)

 

for a relatively small metro area, Fargo is really a great place to golf.

I don't think it's fair to pick a favorite course because they all have characteristics that I like. I do have a few favorite holes. Hole number 12 at Rose Creek is a challenging par 5, but if you lay up and avoid the water, it's an easy par. Hole number 4 at Prairiewood is a deceptively challenging par 5. The approach shot has a huge tree to the right and a water hazard guarding the green in the front. Hole number 1 at Osgood is a pretty straightforward par 4 with tons of room for error of the tee. The problem is, the green is on two distinct tiers. Get it on the wrong tier, and you're guaranteed a 3-putt.

If I really had to pick a favorite, I'd say that it would be Osgood. The only problem is that it's a 9 hole course that requires tee times. I usually like to go 18, and sometimes it's tough to get on for the back 9. I also liked the back 9 at Dakota Winds a lot because it has three par 3's and three par 5's.

 

I got to looking, there are a lot of courses in and around Fargo, huh? It must be great to have so many courses within 5 or 6 miles from each other. Which is your favorite?

 

Well....i don't really have a preference as far as balls go. I figure if a shot doesn't do what I want it to do, it's probably because I swung wrong. I am currently using an assorted allotment of Top Flight balls, but only because they are inexpensive.

 

Hey bjohn, I don't see any golf balls listed on your equipment list. Which golf balls do you usually use?

 

just ordered new clubs....spent more thani wouldhave liked....but i tried one burt had and loved it... www.taylormadegolf.com/mainlevel/golfshop/irons.

 

i put my scores in for today in aready

 

Ahh, yes. Michael Lamanna.

Grip seems to check out fine.

What? You think I have old score cards lying about?

 

video.about.com/golf/Grip-a-Golf-Club-Correctly.

Just double check your grip again with this video

 

Your graph looks worse than offline modem....if you have some of my old score cards laying around your aloud to put them in on my account now

 

Yeah, the par 3 4th hole was the only bright spot for me yesterday. I just didn't have a good round; couldn't do anything right. The main issue was that I just didn't hit solid shots. I don't know what was wrong with me.

Don't you hate having rounds like that?

 

Yeah, the golf lessons have def helped; look at those scores above. Great job and keep it up.

 

Thanks a lot:) It feels good when hard work starts to pay off. I enjoy this game so much, and I have so much that I can still improve upon.

 

Congrats on improving your handicap in the last few days; looks like you have a good trend going. Keep it up.