Archive for March, 2009

Buying Irons

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

I just got an email from my friend, Kathleen, who shared with me her experience last weekend when she went out to buy new irons. Unfortunately, the scenario is all too real. See if you can relate to her frustration. I know my blood pressure rose a few degrees as I read her story.

Kathleen and her husband went to a well-known, large golf store and began talking with one of the sales staff who had been there for some time. Kathleen continues, “First of all, the guy talked to my husband – not me – about everything from price to technology to brands, even though my husband told him more than once that I was the one buying the clubs.  The guy didn’t get it.  Then, without even asking me about my game or seeing me swing or anything he went on with things like the following:

  • ‘These clubs should work great for you – I gave them to my wife . . .’
  • ‘These clubs could be the start to helping you break 100 . . .’
  • ‘Even if you never play anything more than par 3’s or executive courses . . .’

“Then he tried to sell me a complete set with covers and bag – in pink or purple, of course – when the whole time I told him I just wanted irons.  He told me he didn’t know of any women’s clubs that didn’t come in complete sets or any brands that only sold women’s irons.  Excuse me . . . ??!”

I repeat: Can you relate?

Purchasing new clubs is a huge decision and a significant monetary investment. Kathleen was more than frustrated when she left the store – without any clubs.

I do have an answer for this problem: custom clubs made just for you by a true professional in the business. I can recommend just such a person, and I promise you that you will come away from the club fitting knowing that you have the right clubs for you, feeling good about the experience, and, most likely, spending less money.

The final straw for Kathleen was “when he stepped into the swing booth while I was testing out some clubs and started to show me how to ‘correct’ my stance / swing.” I could just scream!

Finding your distance

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

Have you ever noticed how many different kinds of distance markings are used on the golf course? Before beginning a round of golf – especially on an unfamiliar course – it’s a good idea to find out what kind of marking system is being used. You can ask in the pro shop or check with the starter. Sometimes it’s even mentioned on the scorecard.

Some possibilities:

  • GPS on your motorized cart. (If you’re a regular reader, you know that I’m a walker. So if yardages are only provided by the GPS system, I’m at a disadvantage. I think that golf courses need to provide yardages for both walkers and riders.)
  • Yardage books (usually for purchase in the pro shop)
  • 150-yd stake, pole or disk
  • Colored disks in the fairway (generally blue = 200, white = 150,  red = 100)
  • Yardage indicators on cart paths – a colored line or number
  • Disks along the side of the fairway in 25-yd. increments
  • Specific yardages on sprinkler heads

These days the hand-held GPS device is becoming more popular. I guess I’m old-fashioned in believing that determining yardage is part of the mental part of the game. I enjoy using the course markings to figure out my yardage.

As important as accurate yardage is, I realize my limitations as an amateur golfer and don’t get hung up on whether the yardage is 135 or 139, I’m not good enough to hone in to that extent. I only need an estimate and then I can take into account some other factors, i.e. pin position, wind, slope of the fairway, etc.

Furthermore for me (and most amateurs) there’s an optimal distance, beyond which I have no club in my bag that’s long enough. I laughed when I saw a sprinkler head that said, “Just hit it!”

Taking all this into account, you should be able to figure your distance quite rapidly and make your club selection. Don’t model the pros on this issue; they often take a lot of time making a club selection, because it really does make a difference to them.