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being in awe

Hawk said:
Have been lucky to play with some very good golfers and it's always a good time. All that I've played with were very humble about their abilities as well. The only thing I don't like is that I sound like an idiot saying "good shot" 50 times.
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This times 1000! The first time I played with a + handicap golfer, it was in a weekend best ball tourney. The kid (he was 17) shot a 64 (-7) after bogeying the last hole.... Basically every swing I said nice shot... and he was humble and said thank you everytime! I learned a lot from him (so funny to say that as I was 10 years older then him) but watching the way he went about each shot was impressive and I have tried to emulate it since that day.
 
It really is fun to watch or play a round with an accomplished golfer. Has to be some natural talent, together with lots of hard work.
 
I was in awe when I was at a tournament at my home course. On one of the holes you had to meet and try to outperform the current record holder in Longdriving for Ladies, Sandra Carlborg (357,7 meter - 391 yardish is the record at.)
She really had a smooth swing and was placing balls up to and around 350 yards easily with a standard RBZ stage 2 driver set at 10,5 degrees which she uses when playing at the Ladies European Tour...
I almost got a crush on her cause of her swing.. Now that's weird even for me! :confused2:

I won a pack of TM Tour Preferred balls since I kept mine at the fairway.. but she was easily 50 yards past me but in the rough..
 
As for golf, my awe experience came the first year I volunteered at what was then the end of season championship event for just the top 30 PGA players (Tour Championship I think?) held in San Antonio in the mid/late 80s. The awe really began before the tourney, watching shortgame wizzards like Watson and Crenshaw invent ways to get it up and in from impossible spots, and then replicate it in the tourney. Sure standing on the tee box with a 'quiet please' lolipop while Norman bombed it off the tee was spectacular, but the what impressed me most was just how amazing these guys were in close. Watson rode his short game to the win I think. Pavin and Crenshaw won the other 2 years I volunteered there but those were larger full field events.
 
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Any time we get to thinking that we've got our games together, we should attend a pro tournament in person. Its not the same as watching it on TV.

In person you realize that (To quote Jones and Jack) they "play a game with which we aren't familiar". Their shots don't look or sound anything like our shots and all their swings look easy. I agree with that other poster, I think they dial it back as they mature. A couple of years back, I followed Tony Finau around a local tourney on a course I know well. Tony's a web.com tour bomber today, who looks like he'll graduate to the show next year. Of course he's super long, I'd say he was averaging 330 to 340 all day and I never saw him pull an Fwood on any par five. Yet his swing was easy and his younger brother Gipper out-drove him on almost every hole. What most impressed me was the height of any iron he hit. Giant high shots. His 5 irons looked like my wedges.

What I also found strange was that he was super friendly and he talked to the fans in his little gallery all day. Just chit chatting like a duffer out for a sunday round. On one short par 3 with a tough pin placement, he shook his head and said, "Man, anybody who gets close to that stick today is just lucky!"

In my book, attending a PGA tourney, especially on a slow Thu or Fri, is about the best golfing lesson you can get.
 
When I had just started getting into golf, I played rounds with two guys who broke par (69 and 70). The 69 was actually boring, he was a little longer than me, but hit every damn green except the first one. Could putt well. Four birdies, one bogey. The 70 was a buddy's younger brother who got cut from the UFlorida golf team. He was 335 yes and straight, every drive, made eagle on 18. Again, a pretty boring round, but he could hit irons well. Not as good of a putter, tho.
I also tee'd it up with a woman on the UF golf team, she was not a straight hitter, but deadly with her irons. I think she was 9 strokes ahead of me on the front 9, and I shot 41. From the mens tees.
Those three people made me realize that I could be as good, if I could hit the ball straight, be accurate with irons, and putt. 20 years later, I still can't do any of those things!
 
being in awe

I've played with several plus HCP guys and girls, and they all have very effortless swings, and they do make everything seem easy.

I've always been in awe watching them play, but I've also every time seen them make mistakes during a round. Mistakes that I do, sometimes even worse. I know, in real competition they might not make those mistakes, but it sure gives them a touch of human :)

I stand in awe, but I also feel that I get inspired by them and I know I could someday have an effortless swing like them.
 
I'm very lucky to often get to play with a young guy from my home course (EJ Tackett) who is a +2 handicap and now a professional bowler. He weighs around 140 wet and hits 300 yard drives tee after tee, and rarely misses a fairway. He says he only goes after most driver shots at 90% which is how I was taught to play. You need a little left in the tank, for those must carry shots. I hit most of my shots at I'd guess 85 to 90% as well, and in doing so, with the aid of a GPS, I always play to the back of the green distance if the pin is middle or back. If the pin is in the front of the green or there is serious trouble long, I'll go with the center distance. Works well for me. I'm rarely short any more which was always my miss on approach shots, more so than being left or right.
 
i have played with a few guys like that is is very cool to see them pick a part a course
 
25 or 30 years ago I had the pleasure of playing 9 holes with Peter Oosterhuis who, at the time, was the director of golf at Forsgate CC in NJ. It was a playing lesson for a consultant working for me, so he invited me to play along.

Peter O., shot the most boring 34 (2 under) that I have ever witnessed. Drives down the middle around 260, every iron to within at least 15 feet, and consistent putting. He made it look so easy.
 
Back in high school I worked at the pro shop at McCormick Woods cc in Bremerton WA. This was back in 87, the course was brand new. Anyways Michael Jordan was in town to play the Sonics the next day and he and Al Wood landed in a helicopter on the range and played 18. Got his autograph on a basketball I had in my car. I was in awe. Not at his game, he was good but relatively new to the sport but just shaking his hand and seeing him in person.
 
I should add that nothing impresses me more than watching a young guy or girl (under 18) just crush the ball with driver and dissect a course with the rest of their game. Makes me wish I was born with even half of their talent.
 
I don't think I have ever played with anyone under a 5 HC.
 
arydolphin said:
Got the opportunity to play with an LPGA pro in Orlando a couple of years ago thanks to THP. Her ball-striking was effortless, and I think she hit every green until hole #8. On that hole (420 yard par 4), she missed the green to the left. When that happened, it was like in Rocky IV when the announcer screams "The Russian is cut!", I couldn't believe it happened. I actually thought I could beat her on that hole....until she chipped in from off of the green. It was ridiculous.
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I was there, and it was something to behold. Moiras game was on a different level than Iayone I have ever witnessed. I remember her one "bad" tee shot, and then she stuck a 3W to about 10 feet from 230 or so out. That kind of accuracy throughout the bag was amazing to watch.
 
being in awe

I have a buddy who played at Maryland and still maintains a plus 2 index. I've seen him shoot below par on a few occasions.

But I've also had the opportunity to play along side Sean O'Hair In a pro am. Let me tell you the difference between their two games is worlds apart.

You wouldn't think so, but two things stood out about watching Sean up close. His drives seemed to have the exact same ball flight every singe shot.

And when he missed a green he got it to within 5 feet with such ease and consistency.
 
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