With the weather getting warmer and golf season fast approaching, I am considering what I am going to do to get back in the swing of things. Living in the Northeast, and having young children, does not make for a golf filled winter. I am considering my options on what to do to get my swing back.

The range: I have a problem that either nobody else has OR nobody else will admit to. I go to the public course and hit at the range, and after a little while I can hit the ball PERFECTLY off that matt every time! I mean, if courses were made of rubber and fake grass, I would be on the PGA tour. THEN, I go to play on a real golf course, and I'm digging grand canyon sized divots for the first few holes. So I try to avoid hitting off mats at the range.

Then there is the real grass range. This is the perfect way to practice for a guy like me. Around here, these can only be found at private clubs. The private club where I play is 100 miles from my primary residence. During most of my free time in the golf season, I am at my secondary residence, so it makes no sense to join a private club around here. This is my dilemma. So I ask relatives and friends if I can practice at their clubs around here, but I dont want to ask too often.

Then there's lessons. I always start a season with a few lessons to minimize the bad habits that I will be carrying through the season. Lessons on the range are fine, but I much prefer walking lessons. I get much more out of a lesson when the pro observes me in every situation, be it uphill, downhill, in the sand, in the rough, in the woods, etc... If this type of lesson is available to you, I highly recommend it. If not, again, lessons on a range are better than no lessons at all.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: gasdoc,

A good lesson will always allow you to FOCUS on one aspect or thought, minimizing the noise in your head.

It's more like therapy!

I always practice in a real grass driving range. There is not a separate driving range here, we use the 16th and 17th fairways for the purpose, as they are the nearest to the club house and the caddy shack.

Since my original post, I have taken a few lessons and played a few rounds. Since my long game is usually pretty good and my trouble spots are in my short game, I concentrated the lessons on the short game. I have been playing the short game much better, but wouldn't ya know it, my long game has gone to Sh!t. LOL.

LOL!
I think I am the same doc, my long game seems to be ok, because it really doesn't need any smartassity, you just whack it and off it goes, the short game on the other hand, and the putting, is where I suck ass. I just can't get to pitch the ball up to stop on the green, it always ends up rolling till it falls off the other side of the green.