The Golf Thread

RIP Arnie --- what an Ambassador of the game.  

Favorite player of all time.  Great golfer, Great person and a real cool cat.

Arnie and Jack really created the modern tour and created the popularity of the sport to the non rich.  RIP the King!

Sno - Good to hear this.  Its a fun game and you can play both on your own or use it as a way to meet some friends that share a common interest.  I'm not sure if the really good course up there is owned by Clarkson or St Lawrence and I played it awhile back and its quite good.  Usually Universities offer a really cheap rate to their students to play.  its a great sport to play into adulthood and can be good for business which is why I got more serious about the game 20 years ago.

For now use your dad's sticks.  Once you get proficient you may have an idea of getting something better. Drivers in particular change often for the better.  You can buy last years drivers for a good price on sites like Rock bottom Golf which is owned by a guy from LP.  Also may want to get some hybrids to replace long irons if you dads set doesn't have them.  Long irons are the hardest for everyone to hit but especially beginners and Hybrids are game changers.

you can send me an email if you need more advice

My dad's ancient set (from when he was my age) has a driver, fairway woods, iron's 3-9, sand wedge and putter.

My dad's newer set (from 2011) has a driver, two hybrid clubs, irons 5-9, sand wedge, and putter.

His newer set is custom built for someone his size, and I'm 3 inches shorter.  Not sure if that'll be an issue.  The driver, woods, and long irons from the ancient set are really hard to hit.  When I've played with that set, I usually just used my 5-iron and shorter.

use his newer set and choke down on the grip for now

The golf course you were referring to earlier is owned by SLU and is in Canton.  There is also a country club in Potsdam that is open to the public.  

I want to play next weekend and will probably go to the LP Club because they have rental clubs, and I can't go home to get my dad's set until Columbus Day Weekend.

At the LP Club I am old enough to rent a golf cart, not sure about the rest.  Some courses you have to be 18 to use one, and others you just need a driver's license.  Do you recommend walking the course for a beginner or using a cart?  I kind of want to walk it to get more physical activity, but as a beginner, I'll probably play slow and should use a cart to speed things up.  Thanks for the advice Z.

Another really great course in Canton  is Partridge Run CC. It is open to the public and considered by most to be a bit more difficult than the SLU Appleton golf course track . The Partridge Run course was designed in the mid  90's and attracts good players from all over NNY .

If you have a drivers lisc I think you can rent a cart.  

I'm a member at the LP Club.  They do have rentals.  They have 3 courses.  The Mt has lots of blind holes and is tighter with more sloped greens.  Not good for beginners.  They also just spiked the greens it's closed for a few days.  The Lnks is more open but longer but it has tall fescue grass if you are hitting it not straight.  Play the white or green tees.  The Pristine is the 3rd course which is 9 holes and is perfect for new players and it's lots of fun even for good players.   My son and I play it weekly.  

You can play the Pristine as much as you want for 25 bucks.  The links and mt are $35 after 3pm with a cart.

snoloco wrote

At the LP Club I am old enough to rent a golf cart, not sure about the rest.  Some courses you have to be 18 to use one, and others you just need a driver's license.  Do you recommend walking the course for a beginner or using a cart?  I kind of want to walk it to get more physical activity, but as a beginner, I'll probably play slow and should use a cart to speed things up.  Thanks for the advice Z.

As a beginner a cart may be good, but I think it's habit forming to not want to walk.  I walk the course unless I'm pressed for time.  I find it allows you time to think about your approach to the next shot, isn't as herky-jerky and, of course, burns calories.  A good 3-wheeled hand cart helps to compensate.

For a first-timer, or near first-timer, the 9 hole at L.P. is good.  Less frustrating.  I think if golf were invented today there would be - at max - 15 holes.

totally agree about walking.  My swing tempo is always much better walking.

what is nice about the Pristine 9 at the LP club is that it has lots of mini loops so you can play 3 , 6 or 9 holes and then add on to that as your time or frustration level indicates for a new golfer.  It seldom is crowded and its meant for walking.  I usually play 9 holes in less than an hour on it.  A lot of these short courses I find boring but not this one and on the 7 par 3 threes each one is a different club for me off the tee  it goes 8, 7, gap wedge, 4 hybrid, driver, driver or 3 wood, 9, 5 hybrid, wedge.

The LP Club seems to encourage using a cart for the 18 hole courses as they include it in the greens fee.  For the Pristine 9, they don't include a cart in the greens fee, except if it's after 3pm.

I'll probably walk if I'm playing 9 holes and use a cart for 18 holes.

Because the cart is included the only people that walk are typically members.  You can't play 9 on both the 18 hole courses.  These are very old courses and were designed before it became common to route both 9's back to club house in fact the Links course does not even start at the club house.

No one would need to ride on the Pristine unless you are a frail and sick old lady.

I meant if I was playing the 9 hole course I would walk and I would use a cart on the 18 hole courses.

Find a course over by where you go to school. It's not worth the drive. Or go to malone they have a great course. The rental clubs are junk at the lp club and at most places.

Take a cart. It's too hard to carry all that beer

Unless you are wanting to come to LP for some other reason I agree with TJF.  Its a long drive to play 9 holes.  There are several good courses in the couple towns around your school and Malone Golf Club has two courses and is fantastic.

My guess is you are  a little home sick already and want something familiar which would be why you want to come to LP.

I wouldn't say I'm really homesick.  I just knew the LP Club existed and had good reviews, so I decided to look into it further.  I try and get off campus and do some sort of activity at least once every weekend.  Last weekend I went to Whiteface to pick up my pass and ride the gondola.  

The Malone courses look really nice.  Is there a driving range there?  Haven't found anything about one on their website.  I think it would be helpful to practice hitting some shots on the range before trying to play a round.  Do they have clubs one can rent?  I don't have my dad's set up here now and I want to play this weekend.  I'll probably bring it up here when I go home Columbus Weekend and use it until the courses close for the season.  By then ski season won't be too far off.

Malone is a top notch golf facility so I would expect they do have rentals.  They do have a driving range as well.

If you are looking to get away about an hour to your west on Wellesley Island in the St L seaway is a really nice golf club.

http://www.ticountryclub.com/

The have two courses and easier shorter one and a hard longer one.  I used to play there when I lived in Watertown.

Would you recommend taking a lesson before playing a round?  The course in Potsdam has an instructor that can work with me.