Colorado WRX 2021

[pseudoswede]

On 11/26/2021 at 8:04 AM, ztull said:

Any Colorado courses with good Black Friday deals? 

 

As far as I know, the best deals are usually found at the Denver Golf Expo.

[Dancin]

Looks like Denver golf might not even offer their come play passes this year.

[Dancin]

Sad when all the good regular public courses have upped their prices so much that I'm actually considering buying the ridge at castle pine's 5 for $375 card this year.

[CDM]

15 minutes ago, Dancin said:

Sad when all the good regular public courses have upped their prices so much that I'm actually considering buying the ridge at castle pine's 5 for $375 card this year.

 

Sad but true....  I looked at this deal a number of times and always passed but now it has become cost effective compared to playing say MC w/cart or GV w/cart.     

 

Speaking of GV.... when did that place become $100 with a cart..............

 

Edit: should note, I have not played GV in forever so maybe it has been that way for awhile.?

Edited November 29, 2021 by CDM

[Dancin]

8 minutes ago, CDM said:

 

Sad but true....  I looked at this deal a number of times and always passed but now it has become cost effective compared to playing say MC w/cart or GV w/cart.     

 

Speaking of GV.... when did that place become $100 with a cart..............

 

Edit: should note, I have not played GV in forever so maybe it has been that way for awhile.?

GV bumped their rates up really high about 3-4 years ago. I think they sell enough memberships now that they don't need the general public any more.

[ASak10]

13 minutes ago, Dancin said:

GV bumped their rates up really high about 3-4 years ago. I think they sell enough memberships now that they don't need the general public any more.

 

I'm surprised they can sell that many memberships.  I've definitely soured on GVR over the years though so maybe it's just me.  Between the high rates, the construction all around the course (and the number of homes going in), and less than stellar conditions the last few times I've played there, it has really fallen off my roster of regular courses to play outside of CommonGround (where I play  most of my golf).  Between CG, Walnut Creek, Riverdale, and Murphy Creek, I really don't need to play GVR.  I'll still probably play it once or twice a year but that's about it.  

[pseudoswede]

2 hours ago, Dancin said:

Sad when all the good regular public courses have upped their prices so much that I'm actually considering buying the ridge at castle pine's 5 for $375 card this year.

 

Demand is there pretty much 7 days a week. If demand declines in 2022, I'm sure many public courses will start offering pre-paid passes and such to generate more cash flow.

[ALi3]

I certainly hope we will at least see a slowing in price increases soon. I'm sure the decline of casual covid golfers isn't going to start going down for another couple years and I'm sure a ton of new golfers are going to stick with the sport. Wild for me to say considering I only started in 2017, but the days of generous twilight rates and prepaid passes may be gone for a lot longer. 

Courses like Heritage Eagle Bend jumping from $50 to $85 and GVR going from $70ish to over $100 have removed a lot of courses from the list of what I could play often. Very thankful I can still walk CG for less than $50, if you can snag a tee time. 

 

One anecdotal benefit seems to be course conditioning across the state has been a lot better since I started playing.  

[CDM]

On 11/29/2021 at 11:22 AM, pseudoswede said:

 

Demand is there pretty much 7 days a week. If demand declines in 2022, I'm sure many public courses will start offering pre-paid passes and such to generate more cash flow.

 

Its shocking the demand is there, or to me. Good course but sure not on my list of courses I think of when looking for a tee time.

Edited November 30, 2021 by CDM

[Dancin]

Played Fossil Trace today. It's still in good shape and greens are running well but most of the bunkers have been tarped. And with it being cart path only the walking rate is $20 less than the posted rates.

[pseudoswede]

Instead of working today, my company is doing a volunteer gig at Habitat for Humanity. It's gorgeous outside already. Ironically, I have the day off tomorrow, but of course it's going to be the coldest day of the week.

Edited December 2, 2021 by pseudoswede

[deadsolid...shank]

Did temps drop significantly on Sunday in the Denver area?  When I pulled into the parking lot at HH in Greeley at 10:30 my car showed 62*. On the 11th tee it felt like it dropped 10* suddenly. We finished three more holes then packed it in. When I left at about 2:30, my car showed 35*!
 

We had two groups, I think everyone ran to their cars after coming off the 11th green. Stocking caps, gloves, bigger jackets. Didn’t help enough, with the sustained 20mph winds, plus gusts, it was just nasty. 

[pseudoswede]

Slow-moving cold front swept through the front range on Sunday. It was shorts weather in the morning. By the time the Ravens/Steelers game started, Parker was being rocked by strong winds. Around 4pm, I ran out to pick up some stuff at King Sooper's, and it was chilly. By 5pm, when I was filling up the car with gas, it was crazy cold outside--and the winds didn't help.

 

My youngest was rock climbing over near Bailey, and she said it got super cold/windy on their hike back to the car around 2pm. It also sparked some brush fires in the foothills. My daughter was leaving work at Park Meadows, and she thought it was snowing.

[Dancin]

52 minutes ago, deadsolid...shank said:

Did temps drop significantly on Sunday in the Denver area?  When I pulled into the parking lot at HH in Greeley at 10:30 my car showed 62*. On the 11th tee it felt like it dropped 10* suddenly. We finished three more holes then packed it in. When I left at about 2:30, my car showed 35*!
 

We had two groups, I think everyone ran to their cars after coming off the 11th green. Stocking caps, gloves, bigger jackets. Didn’t help enough, with the sustained 20mph winds, plus gusts, it was just nasty. 

Yes. It dropped 20 degrees in two minutes from walking off one green and being on the tee box on the next hole yesterday at Highland Meadows. That was crazy.

[deadsolid...shank]

23 minutes ago, Dancin said:

Yes. It dropped 20 degrees in two minutes from walking off one green and being on the tee box on the next hole yesterday at Highland Meadows. That was crazy.

It was. Felt like someone switched on the A/C. 

[birdiemachine]

Some crappy people set a fire at Common Ground. 

 

[Hardrain]

Anyone have experience with someone they like at Club Champion down in Highlands Ranch? Looking to do a putter fitting for what its worth.

 

Thanks!

[Joelness]

On 12/8/2021 at 10:05 PM, Hardrain said:

Anyone have experience with someone they like at Club Champion down in Highlands Ranch? Looking to do a putter fitting for what its worth.

 

Thanks!

I'm excited to hear opinions on good putter fitters. That is the only fitting I have never done. I got some putting lessons but never a fitting.

[Hardrain]

1 hour ago, Joelness said:

I'm excited to hear opinions on good putter fitters. That is the only fitting I have never done. I got some putting lessons but never a fitting.

 Still undecided if I want to do one. I did one with David Edel a few years ago and bought an Edel putter. I was happy at the time but not necessarily thrilled with it anymore.

 

I should add that I am a pretty terrible putter. I am not sure a putter fitting is necessary or even going to help, but for me it is more of a mental thing/confidence boost.

 

Also, I am pretty sure I already know I want a Scotty Newport 2. haha

Edited December 10, 2021 by Hardrain

[Joelness]

3 hours ago, Hardrain said:

 Still undecided if I want to do one. I did one with David Edel a few years ago and bought an Edel putter. I was happy at the time but not necessarily thrilled with it anymore.

 

I should add that I am a pretty terrible putter. I am not sure a putter fitting is necessary or even going to help, but for me it is more of a mental thing/confidence boost.

 

Also, I am pretty sure I already know I want a Scotty Newport 2. haha

Sounds like what you really need is a putting analysis/lesson. The one I did that I would highly recommend was at the Trent Werner Academy @ Meridian. I think they used Quintec(sp?).

 

FYI for everyone, I paid for the putting analysis on my GCQuad. If you want to get an analysis for free let me know and any one of you are welcome at my house any time.

 

I might go into a rant here but I hope someone reads it and at least thinks about putting a bit more than most people do. Being good at putting breaks down into three sub-skills:

1) Reading Greens

2) Speed Control

3) Starting the ball on your line

 

IMO, two of those skills are hard to practice without being on a real putting green. There are some drills for speed control you can do at home but a huge part of speed control is being able to change your feel every day based on the greens you are playing. Since skill #3 is the one we all have the most control over, I think it's EXTREMELY important to be as good at this as you possibly can. The best part about working on skill #3 is you can do it in front of the TV instead of sitting on the couch. You can still watch your show and do your thing. Going into winter, if you care about being good at putting next year this is the time to work.

 

Drill #1 and my new favorite:

Buy a putting laser. Yes, they are pricey I know. I waited WAY too long to buy one and now that I have I regret waiting. All you have to do is find (or draw/tape, etc) a straight line on the ground. Now take some putting strokes and keep the laser line on your straight line AND keep it parallel. This will show you IN REAL TIME how square your face is during the entire stroke. In the pic I'm using the seams of the tile as my line.

https://eyelinegolf.com/collections/putting-aids/products/groove-putting-laser-green

 

Drill #2 - Gate Drill

Pretty simple, make a gate for your ball to pass through. You can start wide but until your gate is 1/8" wider than the ball keep on shrinking it until it gets there. You can see how wide that gate is in the photo. It's TINY and drives me MAD some days but it has also improved my putting faster than anything else. Once you can make 10 in a row you can shrink it. Personally, I love Eyeline golf as they are Colorado local but they also make some of the highest quality training aids.

https://eyelinegolf.com/collections/putting-aids/products/path-gate-3-pack

https://eyelinegolf.com/collections/putting-aids/products/slot-trainer-by-jon-jim-mclean

 

 

NOTES (All IMO):

1) The best practice drills build pressure, this is why I'm a huge fan of "in-a-row" drills as the pressure will build until you complete your goal. This will get you used to pressure as you get frustrated knowing you can't leave until you complete it.

2) The best training aids are the ones that give you immediate feedback. They tell you you're doing it wrong at the moment you do it wrong. Those are the tools I own that have made me improve the fastest and it's not close.

 

Edited December 10, 2021 by Joelness

[pseudoswede]

I absolutely love the slot trainer. I have the version with the backswing plate, which helps since that is where most of my inconsistency starts.

 

I would also highly recommend using that and the impact ball liner developed by Hank Haney. When combined, it provides instant feedback on whether you hit the ball square.

 

When you take a putting clinic by Jerry Walters, you'll get a gate trainer (with carpet adapters), ball liner, and ball of steel to continue your training.

[CDM]

On 12/6/2021 at 11:29 AM, birdiemachine said:

Some crappy people set a fire at Common Ground. 

 

 

As sad and stupid as this is, did anyone else notice how green the course is for Mid December  😃 

Edited December 10, 2021 by CDM

[Joelness]

18 minutes ago, CDM said:

 

As sad and stupid as this is, did anyone else notice how green the course is for Mid December  😃 

Does anyone know if there was any damage to the course outside of some native areas?

[ALi3]

I'll throw in another option for putting practice. For the whopping price of $5 you can get a 4' aluminum ruler from Harbor Freight. It's a fantastic tool trying to putt off the end of it and includes a hole to place your ball already at the end:

[birdiemachine]

14 hours ago, Joelness said:

Does anyone know if there was any damage to the course outside of some native areas?

Played there Thursday. No damage to course. It’s the native to the left of hole 9. 

[bobbyclampett!!]

20 hours ago, Hardrain said:

 Still undecided if I want to do one. I did one with David Edel a few years ago and bought an Edel putter. I was happy at the time but not necessarily thrilled with it anymore.

 

I should add that I am a pretty terrible putter. I am not sure a putter fitting is necessary or even going to help, but for me it is more of a mental thing/confidence boost.

 

Also, I am pretty sure I already know I want a Scotty Newport 2. haha

I’ll give an additional take (love the advice to find training aids and do drills like Joelness). And this may sound frufru, but I totally believe it: your first step must be to stop telling yourself you’re a terrible putter. If you keep telling yourself that, you will never get better. Just start telling yourself you are the best putter you know and keep telling yourself that, even if you don’t believe it. I promise you it will help. You will look forward to practice putting more. You will have less anxiety on the course and more confidence. Then once you start working on things you will be more attentive to what needs work because your mind will be clearer without the negative self talk. 
 

Sorry, personal rant of mine. I just always think it’s unfortunate when I see people telling themselves they are terrible at something, no matter what it is!

 

 As a side note, I’m not too big on putter fittings. I think there can be a big honeymoon phase (as was your experience) and you can get used to so many different kinds of putters. I think of putter fitting is more of a fine tuning over many years (experimenting with this head, that length, this lie angle). I think I’ve finally got mine where I like it after playing for 25 years. 

[CDM]

Not sure if anyone hit up MC end of the season but they are building units along the left side of hole 1.  Went out today to get some breakfast at the Tavern and see they got the permits approved finally and are under construction (think townhomes) in the area between hole 1 and 9.  The master plan accounted for it, but it is in full swing now. Will change the feel of those two holes.

[Joelness]

On 12/11/2021 at 2:45 AM, ALi3 said:

I'll throw in another option for putting practice. For the whopping price of $5 you can get a 4' aluminum ruler from Harbor Freight. It's a fantastic tool trying to putt off the end of it and includes a hole to place your ball already at the end:

 

Good Ol' trusty yardstick! I had one of these too! I actually brought it in the machine shop at work at the time and had them cut off the end with the hole and smooth the edge. Definitely a great drill and the cheapest way to go. I just got sick of trying to balance a ball on the yardstick and I couldn't ground my club or the ball would roll off it.

 

On 12/11/2021 at 9:39 AM, bobbyclampett!! said:

I’ll give an additional take (love the advice to find training aids and do drills like Joelness). And this may sound frufru, but I totally believe it: your first step must be to stop telling yourself you’re a terrible putter. If you keep telling yourself that, you will never get better. Just start telling yourself you are the best putter you know and keep telling yourself that, even if you don’t believe it. I promise you it will help. You will look forward to practice putting more. You will have less anxiety on the course and more confidence. Then once you start working on things you will be more attentive to what needs work because your mind will be clearer without the negative self talk. 
 

Sorry, personal rant of mine. I just always think it’s unfortunate when I see people telling themselves they are terrible at something, no matter what it is!

 

 As a side note, I’m not too big on putter fittings. I think there can be a big honeymoon phase (as was your experience) and you can get used to so many different kinds of putters. I think of putter fitting is more of a fine tuning over many years (experimenting with this head, that length, this lie angle). I think I’ve finally got mine where I like it after playing for 25 years. 

 

I agree with the attitude and if just telling yourself you are great putter works then there is no question you should do it.

 

Personally, this idea doesn't work for me. I find I build confidence by "doing the thing." Again, just stating what works for me but I build confidence by working hard at putting and making myself a good putter. To me there is nothing better for confidence then making 100 four-footers in a row or rolling 25 balls in a row through that tiny gate. Once I can do that then I KNOW I'm good.

 

Ironically, I find a correlation between great players and the amount of time spent trying to be great. 🤷‍♂️

[ASak10]

I did a putter fitting with Gott.  Step one is figuring out which putter type matches your stroke best (mallet vs blade).  Once you get that figured out and pick a head, he puts you on the Quintic to dial in length, loft, lie, etc.  Don't think he carries any Scotty though.  I ended up with a Toulon and love it.  It was my first new putter in 18 years and I'm hoping I keep the Toulon for a same amount of time 🙂  

[skiPhan9]

My putting hit a different level after a few pieces… 

 

1 was going to Bandon Dunes and watching caddies read greens for 10 rounds. To see that level of dissection and thought process changed the way I walk off a putt. Also something that doesn’t take a lot of time. 
 

Attitude was another huge piece. Up late one night watching some old US AM footage I heard Justin Leonard talking about how a putter had become “tentative.” And for whatever reason that word struck a deep cord. My putting approach could get so tentative and safe instead of confident and free. 
 

the other is like what Joelness said… hitting a TON of short putts and working on start line. Watching the ball go in that much and knowing that you’ve started it on your line has been the mechanical side of getting better.