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David Ober

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Confidential Guide Question
« on: February 05, 2015, 11:29:20 PM »
Just received my confidential Guide and must say I'm loving it. Thank you to everyone involved. What an amazing undertaking.

A few questions:

1) What are the respective playing abilities of the contributors?

2) What tees do each of you generally play when visiting these courses?

3) How much do you think either of those bias you (if at all)?

Thanks!


Tom_Doak

  • Karma: +2/-1
Re: Confidential Guide Question
« Reply #1 on: February 06, 2015, 12:30:16 AM »
David:

Thanks for the compliment.  With respect to your questions:

1) What are the respective playing abilities of the contributors?
     I think Darius is the low handicapper among the four of us, but don't know how low he is.  My handicap was 5 or 6 at its lowest and is now 10 or 11.  Ran is about the same as me, might have been a little bit better at his best.  Masa could break 80 when he was younger but I've got to give him shots now.

2) What tees do each of you generally play when visiting these courses?
     I used to play the back tees the majority of the time [unless they were over 7000 yards], until about six or eight years ago.  Now I mostly play the second set of tees.  I think that's true for most of us.

3) How much do you think either of those bias you (if at all)?
     I talked a bit about that in the introduction to the book ... what we like and why.  Everyone's opinion has something to do with their own game.  It is no more a "bias" to think about a course from the middle tees than to be a scratch player and judge it from the back.  Personally, I am not a big fan of courses which have a set of really long back tees that none of their regular visitors can play, and I might knock the course down a half point for that if I'm trying to decide whether it is a 6 or a 7.  [Other people might round up because of the same scenario, but probably none of the four of us would.]  Ultimately, though, our opinion of a course is more a function of whether the holes are interesting, than whether they are testing for the scratch player.

Mark_Fine

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Confidential Guide Question
« Reply #2 on: February 06, 2015, 09:07:51 AM »
Tom,
How does one get a copy of the book? 

Also a question for you; you stated,

"Ultimately, though, our opinion of a course is more a function of whether the holes are interesting, than whether they are testing for the scratch player."

Interesting for who?  I presume you mean interesting for the mid-handicapper or someone in that 5-15 range?  I say that because an interesting hole is often a testing hole as well (at least for someone) otherwise it is probably not interesting. 

This is a debate GD panelists often have - who are we rating the course for?  There is not a simple answer, or should I say, simple correct answer. 

Dave Maberry

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Confidential Guide Question
« Reply #3 on: February 06, 2015, 11:21:38 AM »
Mark,

I hope all is well in Allentown, long time no see!

Try http://www.renaissancegolf.com/books/the_confidential_guide_to_golf/

For information on new Confidential Guide.

Dave

Mike_Clayton

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Confidential Guide Question
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2015, 03:24:12 PM »
Tom

Darius is a good player -  probably a 3-4 handicap He never scores but on a good day he is easily capable of breaking 75.

John Kavanaugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Confidential Guide Question
« Reply #5 on: February 06, 2015, 04:28:44 PM »
Doak is the finest lag putter I have ever witnessed. I would put him up with Crenshaw. I believe this is evident in both of their design philosophies.  It's not at all uncommon for a mans greatest strength to also be his greatest weakness.

Peter Pallotta

Re: Confidential Guide Question
« Reply #6 on: February 06, 2015, 04:51:27 PM »
Doak is the finest lag putter I have ever witnessed. I would put him up with Crenshaw. I believe this is evident in both of their design philosophies.  It's not at all uncommon for a mans greatest strength to also be his greatest weakness.

The trouble with lag putts is that they almost never go in.

Of course, if you actually start making a few folks will probably just call you lucky.


Mark_Fine

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Confidential Guide Question
« Reply #7 on: February 07, 2015, 07:36:30 PM »
Thanks Dave.  All is well but all is cold.  I am heading south tomorrow.  Hope it is warmer down there. 

How would you answer the question I asked Tom?  What do you think he meant?

Dave Maberry

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Confidential Guide Question
« Reply #8 on: February 08, 2015, 08:22:50 PM »
Mark,

I would determine if hole is interesting for my game. That would be a hole that makes you think and execute. Certainly not a course where you get punished every hole. That is what I found interesting in NC Sandhills, challenging golf but not a lost ball every time I didn't pull off a shot.

Dave

ps Did you find some warm weather?

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