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.

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.

Happy in the Valley

Neshaminy Valley Golf Club
Jamison, Pa.
Yards: 3338/2676 - 6014
Par: 36/34 - 70
Rating: 68.7, Slope: 118
Score: 50/42 = 92
Date: June 7, 2015

My second round of 2015 was at Neshaminy Valley Golf Golf and it was a tale of two 9s. On the front 9, I couldn't find the fairway on the Par 4s and 5s and I couldn't hit a green on the Par 3s. The only two times I put the ball in the fairway, on the Par 4 Fifth Hole and the Par 5 Ninth, I reached the green in regulation and walked off with a par. I also had 3 bogeys, two double-bogeys, a triple-bogey and a quadruple-bogey at the long 219-yard Par 3 Sixth Hole. It all added up to a frustrating 50 on the first nine holes.

The Scorecard of Neshaminy Valley

Going to the back nine, I was just looking for a bit more consistency off the tee and a little better course management. So naturally, I sliced my tee shot at the Tenth Hole across the Eleventh fairway and had and uphill shot to the green. Just trying to hit the ball up near the green, I hit my 7-iron just to the right of the green, pin high. I flopped on and sunk a 20-foot, let-to-right putt for an unlikely par! I hacked the ball around on the next hole for another triple-bogey, but I felt I was suddenly hitting the ball much better. I ran off a string of consecutive 4s that included a par at downhill, slight dogleg right Twelfth Hole and my first birdie of the season at the 473-yard Par 5 Fourteenth Hole. I double-bogey at the Sixteenth was followed by bogeys on the last two holes and a back nine 42 for a total of 92. My scorecard on the back nine included six 4s, a 5, a 6 and a 7.

The 219-yard Par 3 Sixth Hole

I was really happy with how I turned around a disappointing front nine to shoot a pretty good back nine and post a very respectable score. I had some significant changes to my club set-up from my opening round of the season at Mountain View Golf Club. I replaced my Wilson Staff Smooth Driver with a TaylorMade Aero Burner, and my Callaway fairway woods are gone in favor of an oldie but goodie: an Adams Redline RPM 4-wood. I also put an old Elevon Tour 20-degree hybrid in the bag, along with an Alphia Golf Rx 4-hybrid. My 5 thru Gap Wedge are still Wilson Staff Ci7s and my two additional wedges--53- and 56-degrees--are still Solus. I also returned my Snaked Eyes MCS2 blade putter to the bag, this time with a new Super Stroke Slim 3.0 grip. I like the versatility of this set-up and hope it continues to provide me low scores.

The 473-yard Par 5 Fourteenth Hole

Neshaminy Valley, a public course, was in pretty good shape, although the greens were spotty and bumpy. At $27 to walk on a Sunday afternoon, I thought it was a good bargain. Play was a bit slow on the front nine, but moved along well on the back.

A Long Afternoon at FDR

Franklin D. Roosevelt Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 2865/2855 - 5720
Par: 35/34 - 69
Rating: 63.9, Slope: 105
Score: 49/54 = 103
Date: June 16, 2012


Saturday I continued by tour of Philadelphia's muni golf courses by playing a round at Franklin D. Roosevelt Golf Club in South Philadelphia. Located across the street from Philadelphia's sports complex, FDR was  built as WPA project during the Great Depression, the course opened in 1940 and is affectionately know as "The Lakes" to many native South Philadelphians. The course is managed by Billy Casper Golf for the Fairmount Park Commission. While the course shows improve from the last few times I played there, I think charging $29 to walk at 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon is a little high. The course does ofter a unique layout and is a challenge to play, but the tee boxes were well chewed up to the point that finding a good spot can be a challenge. The greens are in very good condition and the rough is thick if you miss a fairway or green.

 FDR Scorecard

As for my round, it was a step back from last Monday's round a John F. Byrne Golf Club. Getting off the tee continues to be a problem, particularly with the driver. I repeatedly put myself into trouble off the tee, which makes scoring difficult. And even when I did hit a good tee shot, I was unable to take advantage of it. The only hole I played well was the 403-yard Par 4 Ninth Hole, where I crushed my driver off the tee and actually found a fairway. I then hit a 5-iron from 165 yards that hopped onto the green, where I made a 25-foot putt for birdie. But I only managed two other pars the rest of the round. I shot 54 on the back nine, which included three triple bogeys and a quadruple bogey. It was a long and disappointing round.

Par 4 Ninth Hole

The only part of my game that has been consistent so far has been my putting. I put a Winn jumbo-sized pistol grip on my Snake Eyes putter at the beginning of the season and it has helped my feel and speed. During Saturday's round I had one-putts on at least seven of the greens. I also added an Adams Golf Speedline Fast 12 3-wood to my bag before the round. I bought the club on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods using a gift card I received for my birthday. The club is long off the tee and I think I need to start using more off the tee in place of my driver until I can get things figured out.

Adams Speedline Fast 12 3-wood

Muni Golfer's Darrell Survey

At every PGA, LPGA, Champions, Nationwide and Japanese PGA Tour event, I representative of the Darrell Survey stands on the 1st and 10th tees during the tournaments first round and records the equipment being used by each golfer in the field. This information is then compiled into a weekly and yearly report that is sent to subscribing golf equipment companies. The companies use this information to monitor that their staff players are adhering to their contracts, as well as using the information in print and broadcast advertising. So when TaylorMade claims it is the #1 Driver on the PGA Tour or Titleist says it is the #1 one ball in golf, it is thanks to the data collected by the Darrell Survey.

While no one from the Darrell Survey has ever looked in my bag before I started a round of golf, I do keep a record of the equipment I use during every round I play each year. So here then is my version of what the Darrell Survey's year end report would have contained for the Muni Golfer for the 2011 season. In the 13 rounds I played last year, I used one driver, seven fairway woods, 3 hybrids, one 4-iron, two sets of irons (5-GW), three wedges, four putters, seven golf balls and three golf gloves.

Here's a breakdown:

Drivers:
Wilson Staff Smooth

 Fairway Woods:
Adams Redline RPM 4-wood, Sonartec SS-07 4-wood, TaylorMade Burner 3-wood, TaylorMade Burner 5-wood, Adams Fast 10 3-wood, Adams Fast 10 5-wood, Golfsmith XPC Plus 4-wood

Hybrids:
Tommy Armour 845, TaylorMade Raylor

4-iron:
TaylorMade r7 CGB

Irons (5-GW):
TaylorMade Burner, Wilson Staff Ci-7s

Wedges:
Solus 53-degree, Solus 56-degree, Solus 59-degree

Putters:
Odyssey White Hot XG #9, Odyssey White Hot Tour #9, Odyssey White Hot Rossie, Snake Eyes MCS-2

Golf Balls:
Maxfli Revolution, Maxfli Fire, Wilson Staff Zip, Titleist Prototype #1, Titleist Prototype #2, Titleist NXT, Titleist DT SoLo

Golf Gloves:
adidas Exert, FootJoy Sta-Soft, FootJoy SciFlex

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.

What was in the Bag: 2009

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that I am a regular equipment junkie. Clubs, balls and gloves find their way in and out of my bag fairly often. Last year, as part of my year in review for 2008, I did my own version of the Darrell Survey by examining all the equipment I played with in 2008. For those of you who don't know what the Darrell Survey is, it is an independent company that for the past 70-plus years has been checking the equipment of each golfer at a Tour event, whether it be the PGA Tour, Champions Tour, Nationwide Tour LPGA, European Tour or other professional tournaments. The information is compiled into a weekly report for the various golf equipment companies. They also used to produce a yearly almanac of equipment usage by the pros.

I had so much fun doing it last year that I decided to do it again for 2009. So here is The Muni Golfer's version of the Darrell Survey for last year. During the nearly 25 regulation and practice rounds I played last season, I used 5 Drivers, 6 Fairway Woods, 11 Hybrids, 5 different models of Irons, 3 Wedges, 5 Putters, 7 different models of Golf Balls and 5 different versions of Golf Gloves. They represented 14 different equipment companies. I also worn PGA Tour Golf Shirts and adidas Golf Shoes.

In true Darrell Survey fashion, here is a breakdown of the equipment in The Muni Golfer's bag during 2009:

Drivers:
Wilson Staff Spine
TaylorMade 360XD
TaylorMade Burner
TaylorMade Tour Burner
Tommy Armour 845 Stripe
















Fairway Woods:
TaylorMade Burner 3-Wood
Golfsmith XPC Plus 3-Wood
Sonartec 4-Wood
Golfsmith Big Gun 5-Wood
TaylorMade 300 7-Wood
Wilson Staff FwC 7-Wood

















Hybrids:
Alpha Golf Rx 4
Wilson Staff Fybrid
Elevon Tour
Nickent 3DX DC Utility 3+
Nickent 3DX DC Utility 3
Nickent 3DX DC Utility 4
Nickent 3DX DC 3
Nickent 3DX DC 4
Nickent 3DX Ironwood 2+
Nickent 3DX Ironwood 4+
TaylorMade Raylor 4H











Irons:
Wilson Staff Di7s
TaylorMade 200s
TaylorMade LCGs
TaylorMade Tour Burners
TaylorMade r7 CGB 4-Iron

















Wedges:
Solus 4.1 53-degree
Solus 4.1 56-degree
Solus 4.1 59-degree

















Putters:
Odyssey White Hot XG-9
Odyssey White Hot Rossie
Never Compromise Z/I Omega
Carbite B-4
Snake Eyes MCS2

















Golf Balls:
Wilson Staff 50
Wilson Staff Zip
TaylorMade Burner
Maxfli Fire
Titleist NXT
Titelist HP
Titleist DT














Golf Gloves:
Wilson Advantage
Wilson Staff Pro Soft
TaylorMade React
Taylor Made Tour Ltd.
FootJoy SofJoy