Golfing weekend in north NJ

[BowhunterNJ]

So I finally got out and had some fun! Met up with a friend of mine, we played Berkshire Valley in Oak Ridge for 18 holes on Saturday and then Crystal Springs and Wild Turkey in Hamburg for 36 holes on Sunday. Really beautiful and scenic up there. We were warned to beware of bears...indeed they were around!

 

 

Signature hole at Crystal Springs:

 

 

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[tjfslaughter]

I am just getting into the game. Have probably only played about 10 rounds in the past 5 years. Last Saturday I played St. Andrews.... I think I am hooked. If you want to meet up for a round at a place that rents clubs let me know.




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[BowhunterNJ]

I am just getting into the game. Have probably only played about 10 rounds in the past 5 years. Last Saturday I played St. Andrews.... I think I am hooked. If you want to meet up for a round at a place that rents clubs let me know.

Oh man that’s awesome! I hear it’s amazing there. Bucket list destination!

Golf is very addictive, and insanely challenging. Every shot is different, even on the same course played 100 times. Variables are always different.

Cool, maybe we can meet up sometime! I’d imagine most places probably rent. They might not fit you best but are probably workable. Do you plan on getting your own set at some point?


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[tjfslaughter]

Just now, BowhunterNJ said:

 

 

Oh man that’s awesome! I hear it’s amazing there. Bucket list destination!

Golf is very addictive, and insanely challenging. Every shot is different, even on the same course played 100 times. Variables are always different.

Cool, maybe we can meet up sometime! I’d imagine most places probably rent. They might not fit you best but are probably workable. Do you plan on getting your own set at some point?


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Was just looking at clubs online.  The caddy I had at St. Andrews said I need to get fitted as I have a strong swing.  I don't know much but my 7 iron was consistently going 170 yards my longest drive with roll was 270.  I was driving over 200 all morning (with a few mulligans of course).  He mentioned I probably need stiff shaft clubs and decent set of shoes.  

[Buck154]

Cool Matt......about the Bears 

[BowhunterNJ]

30 minutes ago, tjfslaughter said:

Was just looking at clubs online.  The caddy I had at St. Andrews said I need to get fitted as I have a strong swing.  I don't know much but my 7 iron was consistently going 170 yards my longest drive with roll was 270.  I was driving over 200 all morning (with a few mulligans of course).  He mentioned I probably need stiff shaft clubs and decent set of shoes.  

Yeah if you're hitting a 7 iron 170 on good contact you're in the faster swing range.

Getting fitted is the way to go.  Like anything, things work out better when they fit you.  Except golf...you'll swear something is wrong no matter what!  That's why some guys have a dozen drivers and a dozen putters!

Technology is super advanced now.  You can go to a fitter, take swings with a simulator and launch monitor and they can tell everything about your swing and use that for what fits you.  Pretty neat stuff.  Funny though, no matter how much you know...golf is still incredibly hard.  I've been thinking about getting some more lessons to help improve more.  That's one thing that certainly helps because what you feel vs what you're actually doing are very different things.  It takes a second person to observe (or a camera self filming) and then the knowledge to know what you're looking at on how to correct it.  You only need to do about 10,000 things right...easy game, little white ball goes into a hole...no problem!

This video with Tiger sums that up nicely:

And here's the full series:

 

 

[not on the rug]

Awesome. I used to play a good amount of golf, but got away from it over the years.  It's an expensive hobby and I prefer spending my money on my other expensive hobbies . 

I actually have 2 buddies who are in Scotland right now.  I've been seeing some pretty sweet St. Andrews pics on social media for the past few days.  They're drinking a ton of Scotch too

Edited June 5, 2018 by not on the rug

[Bucksnbows]

1 hour ago, BowhunterNJ said:

 

So I finally got out and had some fun! Met up with a friend of mine, we played Berkshire Valley in Oak Ridge for 18 holes on Saturday and then Crystal Springs and Wild Turkey in Hamburg for 36 holes on Sunday. Really beautiful and scenic up there. We were warned to beware of bears...indeed they were around!

 

I knew I felt a disturbance in the Force!  Did you get a nosebleed at Crystal Springs?  Shortness of breath or headaches from altitude sickness? 

I lived very close to Berkshire Valley and played it at least weekly back in the day.  I haven't played in years.  It got too expensive and for a long time you couldn't just show up and expect to play.  Nowadays, golf courses are going bankrupt one after the other.  Funny to watch the boom and bust in 20 short years. 

[BowhunterNJ]

4 minutes ago, Bucksnbows said:

I knew I felt a disturbance in the Force!  Did you get a nosebleed at Crystal Springs?  Shortness of breath or headaches from altitude sickness? 

I lived very close to Berkshire Valley and played it at least weekly back in the day.  I haven't played in years.  It got too expensive and for a long time you couldn't just show up and expect to play.  Nowadays, golf courses are going bankrupt one after the other.  Funny to watch the boom and bust in 20 short years. 

Haha I thought it was a BYOO (Bring Your Own Oxygen)!!!

Some courses are crazy expensive, I can deal with a splurge every now and then, but I often look for the deep discounts and hot deals on GolfNow.  You can often get on some pretty premium courses for 1/3 of the cost.  Sunday was a splurge day that turned into an incredible discount day...we played Crystal for $71 and they were doing a special and let us get on Turkey Hill for FREE (normally $125 my friend said).  So basically two rounds for $35.50/each on two top NJ courses.

FWIW, fishing on a charter boat costs a whole lot more than golf!!!

Like NOTR said, we trade one expensive hobby for another expensive hobby.  Seems like nothing is cheap.

[Bonefreak]

Nice!!  I played last week in an outing to benefit The Emeralds Society.  I was pleased with the way I hit the ball considering it was my first time out this season, and I only play a half dozen times or so each year.  It is fun with friends, brewskies, and chew or cigars!  Lol.  Awesome feeling when you make a good shot!!

[BowhunterNJ]

Just now, Bonefreak said:

Nice!!  I played last week in an outing to benefit The Emeralds Society.  I was pleased with the way I hit the ball considering it was my first time out this season, and I only play a half dozen times or so each year.  It is fun with friends, brewskies, and chew or cigars!  Lol.  Awesome feeling when you make a good shot!!

No doubt that awesome feeling is what hooks you!  Always chasing that feeling.  It's like hitting the 10x ring on a 3D target or figuring out a hatch and watching a trout take dry fly after a perfect presentation.  When you do it once, you just want to keep doing it!

[tjfslaughter]

Just now, BowhunterNJ said:

Haha I thought it was a BYOO (Bring Your Own Oxygen)!!!

Some courses are crazy expensive, I can deal with a splurge every now and then, but I often look for the deep discounts and hot deals on GolfNow.  You can often get on some pretty premium courses for 1/3 of the cost.  Sunday was a splurge day that turned into an incredible discount day...we played Crystal for $71 and they were doing a special and let us get on Turkey Hill for FREE (normally $125 my friend said).  So basically two rounds for $35.50/each on two top NJ courses.

FWIW, fishing on a charter boat costs a whole lot more than golf!!!

Like NOTR said, we trade one expensive hobby for another expensive hobby.  Seems like nothing is cheap.

I will take a look at that site looks like an awesome way to get some tee times on different courses.

[BowhunterNJ]

Just now, tjfslaughter said:

I will take a look at that site looks like an awesome way to get some tee times on different courses.

Yes GolfNow is on the web and also has an app for smart phones, etc.

TeeOff is another one, I haven't used it yet though.

GolfZing used to be around, it had the best rates for a course I played down here by where I live (Rancocas) but their app no longer works.

[mazzgolf]

Damn... less than 10 rounds and you already got St. Andrews crossed off the list! Nice. Been playing for over 30 years, best I can say is I played Myrtle Beach courses a few times  (Well, that and a quick 9-hole excursion during a business trip out in Arizona).

Anyway - if you guys build your own arrows, you can build your own golf clubs. Its easy. And its a way you can customize your clubs without spending all that crazy money (400 dollars on a driver? Uh... no thanks... I can probably build an entire set of irons for that, if not less, and they are cut to the lengths I want).

[tjfslaughter]

2 minutes ago, mazzgolf said:

Damn... less than 10 rounds and you already got St. Andrews crossed off the list! Nice. Been playing for over 30 years, best I can say is I played Myrtle Beach courses a few times  (Well, that and a quick 9-hole excursion during a business trip out in Arizona).

Anyway - if you guys build your own arrows, you can build your own golf clubs. Its easy. And its a way you can customize your clubs without spending all that crazy money (400 dollars on a driver? Uh... no thanks... I can probably build an entire set of irons for that, if not less, and they are cut to the lengths I want).

I have a feeling I will be going to the PGA proshop in Paramus soon and getting some ideas.  The St. Andrews was just shear luck.  My wife wanted to go to Scotland and I threw out the idea of going to St. Andrews for a day.  I called them and they gave me some insight on how to get a tee time and caddy by just showing up and a few other things.  We walked in the club house around 645 and I was able to get a single guy tee time and caddy for 7:40.