What a Difference in a Decade

One of the more popular trends as the 20-teens ended on December 31, was to compare pictures of yourself from the start of the decade in 2010 to those at the end in 2019. Although I didn't do it, I suspect I kook a little older and little more gray. I decided that instead on comparing pictures of myself, I would compare what was in my golf bag at the start of the decade with what was in it at the end. Here is the comparison.

Driver: 2010 was split between a TaylorMade Tour Burner and a Wilson Staff Smooth. The Smooth Driver remained almost a constant in my bag throughout the decade until it was replaced last year with a Ping G400 Max.


Fairway Woods: In 2010, I started the season with a TaylorMade Tour Burner 3- and 5-wood and finished with an Adams Redline RPM 4-wood. In 2019, I used a TaylorMade M2 4- and 7-wood, before moving to a Ping G 4-wood for most of the season.

Hybrids: I used numerous hybrids in 2010, including Nickent, Elevon Tour and TaylorMade. My 2019 bag was home to a Wilson Staff FG Tour 3-hybrid and Wilson Staff V4 utility iron.

Irons: TaylorMade Tour Burners ruled my bag in 2010, while I mostly used Wilson Staff Ci7s in 2019.

Wedges: Solus 53- and 56-degree wedges were a constant in the 2010 golf bag. 2019 saw a combo of Cleveland (48-degree) and Wilson Staff (52- and 56-degree) wedges in the bag throughout the season.

Putter: The putter is the one area that stayed basically the same. I alternated frequently between an Odyssey or Snake Eyes putter throughout most of the season.

Golf Ball: In 2010 I used a Wilson Staff golf ball through most of the season. 2019 saw Titleist as the only golf ball in my bag.

So there you have it. While I began the decade as a loyal TaylorMade equipment user, I ended the decade with a number of brands in my bag: Ping, TaylorMade, Wilson Staff, Cleveland, and Titleist.

The Season is in Sight!

Punxsutawney Phil's prediction of six more weeks of winter turned out to be nearly double as the calendar approaches May. The calendar says it is late April and spring-like weather is finally here, which means golf is finally an option in the Northeastern part of the U.S.

Punxsutawney Phil

So far, my golf has been limited to watching the professional tours on TV. But that all changed this afternoon when I was invited to play in a golf outing May 4th at Paxon Hollow Golf Club. My golf season now has an official starting date. It also means that I have to get in some practice in the next eight days. Practice range here I come!

The Par 5 18th Hole at Paxon Hollow

Because I face a short time to prepare, I will draw up a practice plan in which I will focus on hitting wedges and short irons, as well as putting, since the short game constitutes nearly two-thirds of all strokes during a round. I will hit a few drivers and fairway woods, of course, to stretch out my swing, but mostly I want to establish a swing rhythm.

The practice range

So May 4th is circled on the calendar. The start of the season is finally here. I can hardly wait to put that first tee into the ground!

Making Up For A Lost Weekend

Practice Range
Bensalem Township Country Club
200 Brown Ave.
Bensalem, PA
215/639-5556

Due to reasons both seen and unforeseen, last weekend was a total loss for playing golf. My golf on Saturday and Sunday was limited to watching the PGA Tour, Web.com Tour and the European Tour from my recliner. Knowing that this coming Labor Day weekend will also be busy and exclude any chance of making onto the links, I decided to hit the practice range at Bensalem Township Country Club tonight to try as best I can to keep my swing in a groove.

The practice range at Bensalem

Armed with a small bucket of balls, I warmed up with my Orange Whip, then hit 10 wedges to loosen up. Then, as I did in my last practice session, I used a method called random practice where you try to simulate playing actual golf bu not hitting the same club twice in a row and hitting at different targets across the range. In hitting the 34 balls that were left after the 10 warm-up wedges, I hit A Driver, 4-Wood, Fybrid or iron off the tee, then a fairway wood, hybrid or iron off the mat. I would also practice chipping and pitching to certain targets.

A four-legged gallery watched practice in the twilight

My swing wasn't too bad tonight, and overall, I was pretty pleased with how I did. I am hoping to get back on the course shortly after Labor Day as I prepare to take my game into the fall.

And the Streak Goes On...

The Fairways Golf Club
Warrington, Pa.
Yards: 2255/2248 - 4503
Par: 32/33 - 65
Rating: 62.1, Slope: 104
Score: 43/38 = 81
Date: August 23, 2015

Taking last weekend off after two consecutive rounds in the 80s the previous two weeks, I was anxious to see if I could keep the momentum going on Sunday. Playing my third consecutive round at The Fairways Golf Club, I teed off at 1 p.m.; teamed by the starter with a retired couple, John and Rosemary.

The Fairways Scorecard

After splitting the fairway with my opening drive, I hit a fat 7-iron that came up just short of the pond fronting the first green. I pitched over the pond into the right rough and chipped on, then made my putt for a 5. I had parred the First Hole the previous two rounds, but I was happy with the bogey as I headed to the Second Hole. After pulling my tee shot left behind a tree, I shanked a chip across the fairway, then ditched my next shot into the bunker which led to a 7. I was not hitting my irons particularly well, but I was putting well and managing to get the ball into the hole without too much damage. I made par 4s at the short Sixth Hole and the difficult Eighth, and a it was only a four-putt at the Ninth Hole that prevented me from shooting lower than a 43. Not as good as the 40 I posted the previous round, but a good score for the way I was hitting my irons. I could feel my game improving and my confidence building.

A par at the Sixth Hole got my round started

I opened the back nine by hitting my Wilson Staff Fybrid RS straight down the middle and had just a short sand wedge into the green. I two-putted for my third par of the day. At the Eleventh Hole, I again found the middle of the dogleg right and then hit an 8-iron to right side of green, where I sank the downhill putt for birdie! An 8-iron at the Twelfth Hole found the left bunker, but I blasted out to a foot for a tap-in par. I pulled my 4-wood left off the Thirteenth tee and then came up woefully short with my 53-degree wedge. I chipped on and two-putted for a bogey. Another 8-iron off the tee at the Par 3 Fourteenth found the left rough, but I chipped on a two-putted for another bogey. Through five holes on teh back nine, I was a mere one over par. At the Par 3 Fifteenth, I again found the green, and my 15-foot birdie putt just lipped out. My only real hiccup on the back came at the 323-yard Sixteenth Hole, where I pushed my tee shot right and out-of-bounds. My second tee shot found the left side of the fairway, but I went long to the back of the green with my gap wedge and three-putted for a triple-bogey 7. That put me at 4-over through seven holes. I hit a long drive at the Seventeenth, and my approach from the right side of the fairway found the rough left of the green. I chipped on and made my seventh par of the round. I again pulled my drive left at the home hole, then found the right bunker with my 7-iron approach. I blasted out and two-putted to finish the closing nine with a 5-over-par 38 and a total of 81 for the round.

A bad tee shot at the 16th led to a triple-bogey

The back nine was some of the best golf I had played this year, and had it not been for the errant tee shot at the Sixteenth and the four-putt at the Ninth, I believe I might have shot in the 70s. I am feeling very confident with my game right now. The move back to the Wilson Staff clubs has really given me a significant boost. While I did hit my irons somewhat poorly to start the round, my iron game got better and better as the round progressed. I look forward to continuing this streak of good golf as the summer starts to fade and the fall slowly inches forward.

Welcome Back Mr. Wilson!

I have made some changes to the arsenal of clubs in my golf bag over the past few weeks. These changes have coincided with two of the better rounds I've played this year. After making a switch to TaylorMade/Adams Golf equipment earlier this season, I have decided to go back to the Wilson Staff clubs I have used with success the past few years. These clubs are mainly the driver and irons, and I've added in a Fybrid--a cross between a fairway wood and a hybrid--as well.

Although Wilson Staff doesn't get the love and respect it deserves, mainly because it only has five players on its PGA Tour staff, the company makes golf clubs as good or better than the major equipment manufacturers that over-populate the Tours. But Wilson Staff does have a rich history in the game. Their irons have won more majors that any other brand. Wilson Staff clubs have been used by some of the game's all-time greats, including Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Cary Middlecoff, Billy Casper, Johnny Miller, Hale Irwin, Ben Crenshaw, Payne Stewart, Bernhard Langer, John Daly and Vijay Singh.

So here is what I currently carry in my golf bag:

Driver: Wilson Staff Smooth. 10.5 degrees. This driver was introduced in 2007/8. While it is one of the oldest club's in my bag, it remains one of the best drivers I have ever hit.

Wilson Staff Smooth Driver

4-Wood: Callaway X2 Hot. 17 degrees. I have carried a 4-wood for several years now. Research has shown that most amateurs get more distance from hitting a higher lofted 4-wood that a traditional 15 degree 3-wood. It is also easier to hit off the fairway.

Callaway X2 Hot 4-wood

Hybrid: Wilson Staff Fybrid. 19.5 degrees. A cross between a fairway wood and hybrid, Wilson's research has shown that the Fybrid's loft and length (41-in.) makes it easier to hit from the fairway that a traditional 2-iron, 3-iron, or 7-wood.

Wilson Staff Fybrid

Irons: Wilson Staff Ci7s, 4-iron through Gap Wedge. These irons were also introduced in 2008 and have mostly been in bag since 2010. A cavity-back iron, they give me better control, but also the distance I need. I may swap out the 4-iron for a Wilson Staff 4-hybrid.

Wilson Staff Ci7s

Wedges: Solus 4.1, 53 degrees and Solus 420, 56 degrees. These wedges have a cavity-back design, allowing for better forgiveness and helping to get the ball in the air. The crescent cut on the sole of the club allows you to open the clubface to hit from a variety of conditions. These are the best wedges I have ever played.

Solus 4.1 Wedge

Putter: Odyssey XG #9, 34-in., with a WinnPro X 1.32 over-sized grip. The putter is a toe-weighted, heel-shafted, flanged blade with a soft white insert.

Odyssey XG #9 Putter

I hope this arsenal, which includes 10 Wilson Staff clubs, will continue to produce the consistent golf I've played over the past few weeks. In any case, I plan to stick with Wilson Staff for the forseeable future.

Wilted at Walnut Lane

Walnut Lane Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa.
Yards: 2173/2098 - 4271
Par: 31/31 - 62
Rating: 59.9, Slope: 91
Score: 53/45 = 98
Date: July 18, 2015

Hoping to reverse my current golfing fortunes, and armed with 10 new additions to my golf bag, I teed it up at Walnut Lane Golf Club. Tucked into the Wissahickon Valley, which is part of the Philadelphia's Fairmount Park, Walnut is owned by the city, but operated by a non-profit entity. Designed by legendary designer Alex Findlay and opened in 1940, it is a short course, but challenging through its tight, tree-lined fairways, hills and valleys, and unique Par 3s.

Walnut Lane Scorecard

Saturday's weather was extremely hot and humid, one of the hottest of the summer so far. Still, as I stood on the first tee, I had a good feeling a about my round. That lasted all of one hole. After a benign bogey at the short Par 4 First Hole, I hooked my tee shot at the Par 3 Second Hole. Unable to find my ball, I took a drop and made a 7. At the Third Hole, another short Par 4 that doglegs left, I hit three consecutive tee shots left; the first two out-of-bounds.That led to an 11. Three lost balls in two holes. All season I have been searching for my customary draw, or right-to-left shot. On Saturday, my shot was right-to-Fore, Left! At the long, downhill 218-yard Par 3 Fourth Hole, I hit the ball over the green and it naturally cam to rest on top of a pile of sticks. That led to a double-bogey 5, but considering the way the previous two holes had gone, I wasn't too disappointed. The Fifth Hole is a 184-yard Par 3 that doglegs left over a deep valley. After pulling my tee shot left--notice the theme here--I hit chipped over a waste are onto the green and two-putted for a bogey. At the Sixth Hole, I hit my tee shot fat, which led to a triple bogey 6. At the Seventh Hole, a downhill, 357-yard Par 4, I hit my Driver left, then pulled my 4-hybrid left and out-of bounds. Fourth lost day in seven holes! I dropped and hit it again to the back of the green, then two-putted for a 6 instead of a par. At the short Par 3 Eighth Hole, I found the green off the tee and two-putted for my first par and second decenty hole of the day. A double-bogey 6 ended the front nine with 53.

The Eleventh Tee looking down from the green

At this point, I was drenched in sweat and my legs were beginning to feel the effects of the heat and the hills. But I was determined to try and turn things around on the back nine. At the Tenth, I skyed by tee shot left and very short, which led to a 7. The Eleventh Hole is  tight, up-hill Par 3, where I hooked my tee shot for another lost ball and made a 5. The twelfth is a dogleg left that plays over a ravine off the tee. I hit a draw off the tee and made a 5. At the Thirteenth Hole, a short 125-yard Par 3, I sat for about 10 minutes and made a bottle of nuun energy drink. Of course, when I did resume, I hit my tee shot left and made a 4. At the Fourteenth Hole, a 147-yard Par 3, I uncharacteristically pushed my tee shot short a right, then chunked my pitch shot. Needed to hit my third shot between two bunkers, I lobbed it up and onto to the green, where it tracked all the way to cup and dropped it for a par!!!! Buoyed by this, I was determined to grind out the round and break 100! A decent tee shot at the 340-yard dogleg right Fifteenth Hole left me with a 8-iron into the green, but I came short, took two shots to chip on and made a 6. I made bogeys and the back-to-back Par 3 Sixteenth and Seventeenth Holes. Standing on the tee at the 360-yard Par 4 Eighteenth Hole, I went back and forth between hitting my Driver or 4-Wood. I choose Driver and hit it left for my sixth lost ball of the day. I hit my third shot just short of the green, then took four more shots for a 7 and a back nine 45. But I had grinded it out and I had broken 100! No small feat for me lately.

The chip shot I holed at the Fourteenth

Other than my putting, don't quit attitude and somehow breaking 100, there is very little positive I take away from this round. My tee shots were horrible, my irons were poor and most of my short game was weak. I definitely need to get to the practice range this week to try and find an answer so I can begin to turn this season around before it is too late.

A Change for (Hopefully) the Better

There is a saying in golf that goes, "It's not the arrows, it's the Indian." That means that it's not the golf clubs' fault when a golfer is playing poorly, it the fault of the player, himself. And while much of that rings true during this slump I am experiencing, I still feel it's time to shake up my golf bag and the mix of clubs I carry.

TaylorMade Aero Burner Driver

So over the six days, I have examined the clubs in my golf bag and made a few changes. Some clubs have remained, while the majority have been replaced--at least for now. So here is new composition of the 14 clubs currently in my golf bag:
Driver: I am sticking with the TaylorMade Aero Burner that has been in my bag since the end of May. Even though I have wildly inconsistent with it--even shortening by a half-inch to gain better control--I feel confident that will soon begin to yield better results for me off the tee.

4-Wood: I have upgraded the Adams Redline RPM 4-Wood that was in my bag with a newer Adams Tight Lies 4-Wood I purchased at Golf Galaxy last Saturday. The Tight Lies is one

Adams Tight Lies

degree stronger, but both are the same length. I used it in my round last Saturday at The Fairways Golf Club and was impressed with the results. I expect to be as good off the turf as it is off the tee.

Hybrids: I have replaced my steel-shafted 3- and 4-hybrids with new TaylorMade Jetspeed hybrids. I purchased the new hybrids last night from Golf Galaxy, which had them on sale for about 40 percent of their original retail price. Combined with an e-mail coupon that I received and I got them for practically cost. These new Jetspeed hybrids have a Matrix graphite shaft and match my old hybrids almost exactly, except the new 3-hybrid is one

TaylorMade Jetspeed Hybrid

degree stronger. It will play as a 5-Wood/2-iron in my bag, while the 4-

hybrid replaces my 4-iron.

Irons: I have replaced my Wilson Staff Ci7 irons, 5-through Gap Wedge, with an old set of TaylorMade 200 irons, also 5 through Gap Wedge. The 200s, which came out around 2002, are a cavity back iron that looks and feels more like a blade iron. I have had very good success with them in the past and I hope they will instill some needed success in my current game.

Wedges: I am sticking with the Solus 53- and 56-degree gap and

TaylorMade 200 Irons

sand wedges that have been the bag for several years. These wedges are the best I have ever played. They are extremely versatile and I like the fact that they are more of a cavity back than a blade, which helps with forgiveness.

Putter: I have played a great deal with a Snake Eyes MCS2 putter through most of this year, but I have been horrible on short putts all

Odyssey XG9 Putter

year long. My last two rounds, however, I have played with an Odyssey XG9 putter and I have been much better on both my long and
short putts. It has a WinnPro X over-sized grip, which has helped my with my feel. This putter is staying in the bag.

So there you have it. Only four of the 14 clubs in my bag last week have survived. Ten new clubs have entered the bag and will comprise my arsenal when I tee up this weekend and the forseebale future. I will keep you apprised of now they work out.

No Whining at Twining (Valley)

Twining Valley Golf & Fitness Club
Dresher, Pa
Yards: 2932/2650 - 5582
Par: 37/33 - 70
Rating: 64.7, Slope: 114
Score: 45/46 = 91
Date: June 24, 2012

Twining Valley can only be described as a no-frills, hard-scrabble golf course. If you are looking for country club conditions, Twining Valley is not the place. But if you are looking for a cheap golf course that will challenge your game, as well as your patience, then Twining Valley is it. The tee boxes often look like a plowed up field and are so hard, it is often difficult to get a tee into the ground. The fairways are very dry, very hard and very fast. Tee shots can run forever, but so can chips and pitches. Yet the greens can be so slow you feel like you are putting on shag carpeting. And bunkers feature hard dirt instead of sand. At times you almost have to play Twining Valley like a British-style links course. And because Twining Valley attracts players of all skill levels, play can be very, very slow. But the course does offer an interesting layout and is rather cheap to play; I payed $20 to walk on Sunday afternoon. If you want to play a course for practice, check out Twining Valley.

 Twining Valley Front 9 Scorecard

I decided to shake things up for my round at Twining Valley. I put an old TaylorMade Tour Burner Driver in my bag and replaced my Wilson Staff irons with a old set of TaylorMade 200 irons. These irons have a habit of finding their way back into my bag every couple of years. Although they are a cavity-back iron, they look more like a blade, with a thinner sole and top line. Plus the reminder-ribbed grips just feel good in my hands. I think these irons may stay in the bag for the foreseeable future.

 Twining Valley Back 9 Scorecard

With a partially re-constituted arsenal in my bag, I hit the course. Twining Valley starts off with a modest Par 5 of 434 yards that plays uphill to a plateaued green. After hitting three straight pulls, I was just left of the green and chipped to about 10 feet. After my first putt, I still had about 5 feet left for par. I told you, these greens can be slooooow. At the Second Hole, a downhill Par 4, I had a short chip to the green, but watched as it hit in front then rolled well off the back, leading to a 7. I managed a two-putt par at the Third Hole, a Par 5 that runs along Twining Valley's Driving Range. I followed that with a double bogey and three bogeys. The Eight and Ninth Holes are both very short Par 4s; 255 and 256 yards respectively. I made par and Eight and birdie at Nine after nearly driving the green with my 4-hybrid. As I said, you get a lot of roll from the fairways. The front nine is a par 37 and I went out in a respectable 45.

 Approach to the Fifteenth Hole

As has been the case for most of the season, the back nine has been my nemesis this season, and Sunday at Twining Valley was no different. The Tenth Hole is a 174-yard Par 3 that plays uphill and is followed by a 545-yard Par 5. I made double bogey at both. I did make par at the Twelfth Hole, a 322-yard Par 4. But I followed that up with a double-, triple- and triple-bogey. The Fifteenth is probably the most difficult and awkward hole on the course. The 331-yard Par plays from an elevated tee to a small, hard landing area, then doglegs right over a a creek to a small green on the side of a hill. The tee shot requires probably nothing more than a 9-riron. I hit the hybrid and put it through the fairway and into the creek.After a drop, I then chunked my approach into the creek. Fitting five, I wedged on and two-putted for a 7. But I pulled myself together and parred two of the last three holes, including the Sixteenth, a 190-yard Par 3 that plays straight downhill to a green that is tough to hold and the Eighteenth, a 156-yard Par 3 that plays uphill. I played the Par 33 Back Nine in 46 for a total of 91 for the round.

 The Downhill Par 3 Sixteenth Hole

Despite some of my struggles, I was pleased with how I played. Some of my problems stemmed from failing to adjust to the fast, hard fairways and slow speed of the greens. While I'm still not hitting it how I'd like off the tee, I was happy with my iron play, chipping and my putting. I feel like I was able to carry over the positive play from my previous round at The Fairways. Now, I just need to keep it moving forward.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

It's not the arrows...

There's an old saying that is used frequently in golf: "It's not the arrows, it's the Indian." It is generally used when a golfer is hitting the ball bad and tries to blame it on the golf clubs. I recently found myself in this same situation and had to remind myself of that old quotation.

After hitting the ball so poorly during my first round of the season two weeks ago, then hitting even worse at the driving range a week later, I found myself suddenly replacing almost all the clubs in my bag. My Wilson Staff Smooth Driver isn't working so lets go

back to that TaylorMade R9. And the Callaway fairway woods should go too, replaced by TaylorMade Burners. Why stop there? Might as well take out the Wilson Staff Ci7 irons. Lets see, maybe my old TaylorMade Tour Burner irons would be better? Suddenly, my golf bag started to look like it did in 2009 and 2010.

After looking for several days at my old/new set of golf clubs in the bag, I started to think about the old saying, "It's not the arrows, it's the Indian." And this Indian hit that Wilson Driver and irons pretty well last year. Those Wilson irons made a birdie, three pars and three bogeys on the first seven Par 3s I played this year. This Indian hit those new Callaway woods pretty well on the range this year too. So it's definitely too earlier to be panicking over a few bad shots when this Indian has only played one round of golf and had three sessions at the practice range. So good-bye again TaylorMade Driver, woods and irons. Back into the bag goes Mr. Wilson and the Callaway woods. This Indian is sticking with his current arrows.

Back to the Range

Driving Range
Bensalem Township Country Club
200 Brown Ave.
Bensalem, Pa
215/639-5556

After my awful play in the Poconos, I decided I needed to hit the driving range and see if I couldn't find what was wrong with my swing. So last evening, despite overcast skies and some earlier rain, I hit the range at Bensalem Township Country Club. I only hit a small bucket of balls, which equates to about 40. I warmed up with 10 sand wedges, followed by 10 7-irons. I felt pretty good so I hit my last 20 balls with the driver. I had brought two drivers to the range--a TaylorMade R9 and a TaylorMade Tour Burner--and 10 balls with each. I didn't hit either one that consistently, so I think the Wilson Staff Smooth Driver will stay in the bag for now.

Looking to shake things up a bit, I have also made some other changes to my club set. I have replaced the 4-wood and 3-hybrid with a TaylorMade 3- and 5-wood, my Wilson Staff Ci7 4-iron has been swapped with a TaylorMade r7 CGB 4-iron and my putter is now a Snake Eyes MCS2. Hopefully, these changes will get my game back on track.

Putt Putt at Paxon Hollow

Paxon Hollow Country Club
Marple Township, Pa.
Yards: 2593/2824 - 5417
Par: 35/36 - 71
Rating: 66.2, Slope: 121
Score: 49/46 = 95
Date: June 6, 2011

On the 67th Anniversary of D-Day, I stormed the fairways and greens of Paxon Hollow Country Club, a wonderful municipal golf course in Delaware County. This hilly, 5400-yard, Par 71 track has gotten the best of me the previous two times I've played it; particularly the 519-yard Par 5 Eighteenth Hole, which is one of my "Nightmare Nine" holes. I've failed to break 100 in those previous attempts. But my game is brimming with confidence after my first three rounds of the season, so I looked forward to this challenge.

 Paxon Hollow Scorecard

My round started off with a topped drive, but I recovered for a bogey 5 at the opening hole, followed by a par at the short Par 3 Second Hole. The Third Hole is a Par 5 that doglegs right around a hill and plays uphill to the green. A bad drive and an overcooked layup with my hybrid put me in early trouble, But I manged to get on the green in five, however a four-putt left me with a quadruple-bogey 9. That normally would have been the beginning of the end for me at Paxon Hollow in the past, but I shook it off a made a bogey at the Par 3 Fourth Hole. Another bogey followed at the the Fifth Hole, then at the short 261-yard Par 4 Sixth Hole--after a beautiful tee shot left me no more than 60 yards to the green--I thinned a lob wedge well over the green for a triple bogey 7. I followed that with a double bogey 7 at the Par 5 Seventh Hole, a 441-yard dogleg left. But bogeys at the Par 3 Eighth and Par 4 Ninth Holes left me with a 49 for the Front Nine. Not bad considering that I left many putts well short and couldn't lag it close if I tried. This led to numerous three-putts on the day.

The Par 5 Third Hole

The Back Nine started off with a nice par at the short, 250-yard Tenth Hole, but again, a Par 5 caused me trouble as I double-bogeyed the Eleventh, which plays uphill. The Twelfth was a problem from the tee shot which hit a tree about 75 yards off the green and landed in the rough. I hacked it up the fairway and two-putted for a triple-bogey 8. It looked at that point like my round was about to spin out-of-control and triple digits loomed on the scorecard. But from there on in, I managed my game nicely. I bogeyed the Thirteenth and Fourteenth, escaping a deep bunker on the left of the Fourteenth Green that I found with my approach shot. Another par at the 150-yard Fifteenth was followed by a 6 at the Sixteenth after I miss-read the slope of my first putt and three-putted the green. Another par at the downhill, 115-yard Seventeenth Hole came when I was short of the green, chipped on, then made my par putt. This brought me to my nemesis, the closing Par 5 Eighteenth.

 158-yard Eighth Hole

The Eighteenth tee shot at Paxon Hollow is narrow, with trees protecting the right and a creek running down the left. Your second shot is uphill, over the creek, to a fairway that slopes severely from left to right, with the right side being protected by a huge tree that can cause problems for your third shot. A large, two-tiered green sits at the top of the hill at the foot of the clubhouse, with bunkers behind and to the left. Miss long or on the wrong tier and you could easily see your chip or putt run off the front of the green. Yesterday,  my tee shot found the light rough just to the left of the fairway, where I was able to hit my hybrid up the hill. It rolled just into the right round about 120 yards from the green. I hit an 8-iron approach that two-hopped onto the green about 20 feet below the hole. I then two-putted for a par! This gave me a 46 on the Back Nine and a 95 for my round. I had finally broken 100 at Paxon Hollow!

 Seventeenth Hole--A downhill Par 3

I was truly pleased with the way I played my round round at Paxon Hollow. I stayed mentally tough and didn't let a few big holes snowball into a very bad nine holes. Although I didn't play the three Par 5s very well--except for the Par at the Eighteenth--I balanced that out by taking advantage of the five Par 3s--three pars and two bogeys. My two main problems during the round was hitting my driver and 4-Wood off the tee and my putting. I couldn't seem to hit the ball anywhere near the hole on long putts, which led to numerous three-putts during the round. I did, however, continue to hit my new Wilson Staff Ci7s very well. I feel a great deal of confidence standing over the ball, whether on the tee, in the fairway or in the rough.

The Par 5 Eighteenth from the fairway

As for the course itself, except for gnats which seemed to be everywhere on the course, Paxon Hollow is in tremendous condition despite the very wet spring. The tee boxes, fairways, greens and bunkers were all in very good shape. If you have yet to play Paxon Hollow, I highly recommend you schedule a tee time in the very near future.

Welcome Back Mr. Wilson

Mad Golfer Driving Range
114 Street Road
Southampton, Pa
215/357-1622

A few years ago I moved from TaylorMade irons to Wilson Staffs, playing the Di7 irons. While I liked the club heads, I didn't like the Fat Shaft that Wilson used and I eventually moved back to TaylorMade. Well, I have decided to go back to Wilson Staffs once again, this time the Ci7s, which have a more traditional True Temper steel shaft. I already have the Wilson Staff Smooth Driver in my bag.

I took the irons for their first workout Wednesday night at the Mad Golfer Driving Range on Street Road in Southampton, Pa. It was my first time at the facility, which features a two-tiered hitting structure. I purchased a large bucket of approximately 70 balls for $9 dollars. I picked out a spot on the upper level and began my practice with Mr. Wilson.

 After hitting stretching, I hit approximately 10 sand wedges to warm up, then worked the gap wedge, 9-, 7-, 5- and 4-irons, hitting approximately balls with each. I hit the majority of my shots straight of with a slight fade and had a nice high trajectory. I occasionally mixed in a draw. I finished with hitting six 6 balls each with my driver and a new Tommy Armour 845 3-hybrid. I was quite pleased with how the clubs performed and I look forward to taking them to the course for their first field action.

The Mad Golfer also features a short game practice facility; a pro shop; private practice areas; and heated, covered hitting stalls. A small bucket (approximately 35 balls is $7, and a jumbo (105 balls) is $11. Golf lessons are also available.

What's in My Bag

Since it's "Labor Day," I though this would be a good time to write about the clubs I labor with on the golf course. In the right hand column of this blog, you will see a listing of the clubs that I typically have in golf bag. I though I would finally take this opportunity to actually show you "what's in my bag." Although I typically walk and carry  my clubs in a Sun Mountain Swift X stand bag, I put the clubs in a larger staff-type golf bag for the above photo. The clubs are:

* Driver: TaylorMade R9, 10.5 degrees, Fujikura Motore 65 shaft, 44.5-in, R-flex. I have the shaft set in the neutral upright position and 4-6-4 gram weighs in the toe, back and front respectively.

* 3-Wood: TaylorMade Burner, 15 degrees, TaylorMade RE*AX 49 shaft, 42.5-in, R-flex.

* 5-Wood: TaylorMade Burner, 18 degrees, TaylorMade RE*AX 49 shaft, 42-in, R-flex.

* 2-Hyrbid: Nickent 3DX DC Utility, 17degrees, Aldila NV 75 hybrid shaft, 41.5-in, R-flex. This club plays as a 2-iron and I alternate between this and the 5-Wood.

* 4-Hybrid: TaylorMade Raylor, 22 degrees, TaylorMade RE*AX 65 shaft, 39-in, R-flex.

* Irons: TaylorMade Tour Burner, 5-Iron through GapWedge, TaylorMade Burner 105 steel shafts, R-flex.

*Sand Wedge: Solus 4.1, 56 degrees, True Temper supplied Solus proprietary USGW-38 shaft, R-flex.

* Lob Wedge: Solus 4.1, 59 degrees, True Temper supplied Solus proprietary USGW-38 shaft, R-flex.

* Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG #9, 3 degrees loft, 34-in.

  My Sun Mountain Swift X Bag

 Photos by The Muni Golfer

A Divine Nine at Juniata

Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2735/2070 - 4680
Par: 34/31 - 65
Rating: 63.2, Slope: 106
Score: 48 (Front Nine)
Date: May 28, 2009

I only had a half day's work today, so despite the call for afternoon showers, I made an effort to play nine holes at Juniata Golf Club late this afternoon. The sunshine and warm temperatures gave way to cloudy skies and cool breezes as I teed off around 5:15 p.m. I wasn't quite short what to expect after Tuesday's horrible experience at the practice range. I switched my irons to an old set of TaylorMade LCGs for the round, hoping they would help me on my search to recapture my old swing and draw. While I didn't find any miracles, I did find enough to keep them in my bag for at least one more round.

1st Hole/Par 3/150 yards: I hit 7-iron a little fat off the tee, but because it is a downhill shot, my ball took a nice bounce forward and rolled to the front fringe. I two-putted for par.

2nd Hole/Par 4/260 yards: Hitting a 2-Hybrid over the creek on this short Par 4, I pulled my shot into the left rough about 50 yards from the green. I pitched the ball with my gap wedge onto the left side of the green. My first putt stopped 2 feet right of the hole, but I pushed my par wide for a careless bogey.

Front Nine Scorecard

3rd Hole/Par 4/390 yards: I hit driver off the tee with a slight fade into the right rough about 155 yards from the green. My approach with a 5-iron landed just short and hopped up onto the green, where I two-putted for another par.

4th Hole/Par 4/415 yards: My 4-wood off the tee was pulled well left into the 3rd fairway, leaving me with an approach of about 165 yards that needed to go over trees separating the fairways. I hit a 6-iron that cleared the trees and rolled into the rough about 5 yards in front of the green. I chipped to 3 feet above the hole, then lipped out my par putt for a bogey.

The 1st Hole, a downhill Par 3

5th Hole/Par 4/360 yards: I hit a wicked duck hook off the tee with my driver. The ball crossed the adjacent 3rd fairway and into the left rough. From there, I hit a 6-iron a bit fat, but got it to 15 yards in front of the green. My pitch shot with a wedge was hit thin and the ball hit into the sloping front of the green and ran all the way through to the back right fringe. I putted with my hybrid to about 6 feet. Two more putts and a double-bogey 6.

6th Hole/Par 4/360 yards: I made the most difficult hole of the course more difficult when I hit my driver left and couldn't find the ball. I took a drop on the left at the top of the first crest where I last saw my ball hit. My third shot with a 4-Hybrid squirted right and rolled into the rough about 70 yards short of the green. My uphill pitch shot with a wedge was short of the green. I chipped on and two-putted for a 7.

7th Hole/Par 4/275 yards: With the tees on the lower level of the two-tiered tee, I hit my 4-Hybrid right. It hit a tree on the right side of the fairway and bounced back to wards the tee, leaving me with a long approach shot. I tried to muscle another Hybrid out of a poor lie, but it squirted across the fairway and into the wetlands. I took and drop and hit a wedge short. I chipped up the sloping green and two-putted for another 7.

The 4th Hole at Juniata Golf Club

8th Hole/Par 3/200 yards: Trying to play a draw with my 2-Hybrid over the trees on the right side of the fairway, I hit the trees and again, could not find the ball. Three lost balls in three holes; not good for your score. I took a drop and chipped out to about 30 yards in front of the green. My pitch onto the green was a little strong and the ball rolled through the green. I chipped on and missed another short putt for another 7.
9th Hole/Par 4 380 yards: Determined to stop my string of 7s and finish on a positive note, I hit my driver with a slight draw up the right side of the fairway. Catching the slope of the fairway, my ball kicked left into the middle of the fairway, 97 yards from the green. My uphill approach shot with a wedge found the green, 30 feet from the hole. I two-putted for par.

The three 7s were disappointing, but I chalked those up to the lost balls as much as I do the poor tee shots. I did make three pars, and if I could have made two short putts, I would have had five. Overall, I played some of my best golf to date and I'm definitely feeling more and more confident with my shots.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Hellooooooo Mr. Wilson!

No, it's not Dennis the Menace calling to his next door neighbor, George Wilson. It is a switch in golf equipment. As you may have noticed, I have been partial to TaylorMade/Maxfli/adidas golf equipment over the past 10 years; everything from golf clubs to balls to shoes to gloves to headwear. But I recently decided that a change was in order. I still think TaylorMade makes a very product, but I felt it was time to try something different. After some looking around, I decided to move to Wilson Staff golf equipment.

Wilson doesn't get a lot of attention these days since most of the players on the professional tours are using equipment from the larger companies like TaylorMade, Callaway, Titleist and Nike. In fact, Wilson only has three players representing them on the PGA Tour: Padraig Harrington, Jesper Parnevik and D.J. Trahan. Harrington, as you might recall, has won three of the last six majors played-- the 2007 and 2008 British Opens and the 2008 PGA Championship. In fact, Harrington, Wilson Staff member since 1998, just renewed his agreement with company for the third time. What Wilson does have is legacy. It has won 62 majors, more than any other equipment company. Players who have used Wilson equipment during their careers reads like a "who's who" of golf: Gene Sarazen, Walter Hagen, Sam Snead, Patty Berg, Arnold Palmer, Hale Irwin, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Curtis Strange, Payne Stewart, Vijay Singh and John Daly, just to name a few.

I started moving toward Wilson about a month ago when I purchased one of their new Spine Drivers. The Spine has a square shaped clubhead, and has a hollowed out crown, ala the Cleveland Hi-Bore Driver. This allows for more perimeter weighting and one of the highest MOI's (moment of inertia) in the game. According to Wilson's Website: "The Spine achieves high MOI and low CG by redistributing weight from the center of the crown to the perimeter. The result is the industry's first truly perimeter weighted driver with a higher MOI and lower CG than traditional 460cc drivers." The Spine comes with a 46-inch UST Proforce V-2 HMOI graphite shaft. So far, I have found the Spine to be a great driver. During the 18 holes I've played with it so far, I've hit 6 out of 11 fairways with it.

I moved further towards Wilson last night when I traded in my TaylorMade r7 irons, along with several old drivers, fairway woods and hybrids at Golf Galaxy for a set of Wilson Staff Di7 irons. I read many reviews of these irons before making up my mind to purchase them. These irons come with Wilson's proprietary Fat Shaft, which was introduced in 1997. According to Wilson's Website, "The most important performance variable in an iron performance shaft is torque – less torque means less twisting, which equals greater accuracy. Fat Shaft technology provides a larger tip diameter (.500” versus typical .370” or 35% wider) providing 40% more torsional stability than skinny shafted irons for greater accuracy." The Website also states about the Di7 irons, "Simply stated, the new Wilson Staff Di7 irons are not like other clubs. A lower profile moves the center ofgravity down for higher ball flight. A wider sole moves the CG back for greater stability and straighter ball flight. A wider tip shaft prevents twisting on off-center hits. If you want to hit it longer and straighter, play Wilson Staff Di7 irons. We're talking 'club longer,' not 1-2 yards." I look forward to working with irons through the winter.

I have also picked by a dozen Wilson Staff Fifty Golf Balls to test. With a compression of 50, "Wilson Staff Fifty now stands as the softest two-piece distance ball on the market today. Its unmatched combination of maximum distance and ultra-soft feel appeals to the widest segment of golfers," according to Wilson's Web site. I have also read very good reviews about this ball and look forwrad to playing with it, especially in the colder weather, when the softer compression will make the golf ball feel less like a rock. I also want to try Wilson Staff's new Zip Golf Ball, but it has been extremely hard to find in stores, so I am probably going to have to purchase a couple dozen online.

In addition to the golf clubs and golf balls, I've also picked by a couple of Wilson ProStaff Golf Gloves to try out. I'll keep you informed of how this new equipment rates over the coming months, weather permitting. But I look forward to entering next season with Wilson Staff golf equipment in my bag.