Greetings from Alabama!

[Bamaphotopro]

Hello, superstars!

I've been lurking for a few days now, so I thought it good form to post a greeting and a thank you for welcoming me into this great little golf forum!

I am a 52-year old husband of one (for 22+ years), father of two (ages 21 & 19), and quadruple bypass survivor (September of '05). I left the game back on 2000 having thrown my hands up in disgust after one too many duck hooks. But about a month ago, the bug suddenly bit me again. So I drag out my old Top Flite irons (can't believe I hadn't sold them) and I actually hit the ball better than I did when I quit. So I guess all of the old bad habits had time to go away.

The next order of business was to update all of my old equipment, so I ordered (all from Ebay ... saved myself a ton of cash!):

Taylor Made r5 Dual Driver 9.5/Neutral Bias
Taylor Made V-Steel 15-degree 3-Wood
Adams tight Lies GT2 19-degree 5-Wood
Taylor Made RAC HT OS Irons 3-PW
Adams Tom Watson Gunmetal Wedges (G, S, L)
Nike Oz Belly Putter (which I have left out of the bag for now) and ...
MacGregor Bobby Grace V-Foil M6.4k (love this putter! Great feel!)
New Datrek Bag
New Etonic Shoes and other assorted goodies ... tees, towel, caps, etc.

All for under $800!

Have already had a lesson from the local teaching pro @ my 'home course', Ol' Colony in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, a Jerry Pate designed course, and voted one of the Top 5 New Public Courses by Golf Digest in 2001! Best of all, it's only 5 minutes from my back door.

After many hours on the range, I got around to shooting my first return round last week which was a 103. Honestly, I'm pretty tickled with that having been away so long. My game off the tee was solid ... I am thrilled with the r5. My putting was not too shabby .. only 3-putted 2 greens. But my game from 180 in, as you might imagine, is pretty weak at this point. So the only thing i know to do is to practice and play more. And the fact that I get a lot of exercise from walking the course makes my wife all the more in favor of the extra exercise! Sweet deal, eh?

I look forward to participating in many discussions here and hope I don't look too ignorant in the process.

- Bama

[TwillDog]

Welcome to the forum and welcome back to the game. Quite a bug isn't it; just when you think you've gotten rid of it, it bites you again. Nice work on the equipment, too. You'll find many of us who've gotten our sticks on eBay and such sites.
Don't sweat the scores, just enjoy getting the feel back. And really don't sweat looking "ignorant". Asking questions and providing feedback is all part of the fun of this forum. ENJOY!

[halk]

Welcome to the greatest forum on the internet pull up a chair and make yourself right at home we are glad to have you. BTW it is great to see another join the forum from home sweet home Alabama.

[Bamaphotopro]

Originally Posted by TwillDog

Welcome to the forum and welcome back to the game. Quite a bug isn't it; just when you think you've gotten rid of it, it bites you again. Nice work on the equipment, too. You'll find many of us who've gotten our sticks on eBay and such sites.
Don't sweat the scores, just enjoy getting the feel back. And really don't sweat looking "ignorant". Asking questions and providing feedback is all part of the fun of this forum. ENJOY!

Thanks, T'Dog! It's good to be back, but my wallet and my wife would disagree. But at least she thinks I am exercising. My wallet just knows that it's much thinner than it used to be.

Trust me, I have no expectations at this point as I am just as liable to shoot 120 next time out. But I do hope to break 100 before too long and I truly think I can do it if my tee shots continue to be as they were last round and in practice. They were my downfall in my previous playing days. It's difficult when you're constantly playing out of the trees less than 100 yards form the tee box, you know.

But as they say on Star Trek ... 'steady as she goes'! And thanks for the welcome!

- Bama

[Bamaphotopro]

Originally Posted by halk

Welcome to the greatest forum on the internet pull up a chair and make yourself right at home we are glad to have you. BTW it is great to see another join the forum from home sweet home Alabama.

Thanks, halk! (Love the avatar, guy!) So I see you're from north Alabama ... Athens/Huntsville area maybe?

- Bama

[halk]

Originally Posted by Bamaphotopro

Thanks, halk! (Love the avatar, guy!) So I see you're from north Alabama ... Athens/Huntsville area maybe?

- Bama

To be exact a small town between Huntsville and Birmingham....Blountsville.....I guess I should change the location to North Central.

[coralpro]

Welcome from another Alabamian located in Gurley which is east of huntsville about 15 miles. What are the rate for Ol' colony. I looked at the website but didn't see fees listed. Perhaps we could get a foursome from the board together for a round sometime. Your about 2 hours from us approx. depending on if the state troopers are working I 65.

[Bamaphotopro]

Originally Posted by coralpro

Welcome from another Alabamian located in Gurley which is east of huntsville about 15 miles. What are the rate for Ol' colony. I looked at the website but didn't see fees listed. Perhaps we could get a foursome from the board together for a round sometime. Your about 2 hours from us approx. depending on if the state troopers are working I 65.

Hi!

The weekday rates for Ol' Colony are $30 for 18 & cart. I know that because we played on Thursday afternoon, the 8th. I will find out the weekend rates and post them here. I do know that you can walk at anytime .. weekdays or weekends.

I get to Athens about twice a year (father-in-law lives there and my brother-in-law is a dentist in Huntsville), so maybe we could get up a game in Huntsville. Don't they have a RT Jones course there? Or perhaps you know of a good public course in the area. Doesn't matter to me ... I'm just ready to tee it up!

- Bama

[Bamaphotopro]

Originally Posted by halk

To be exact a small town between Huntsville and Birmingham....Blountsville.....I guess I should change the location to North Central.

Wow .. I'm an Alabama native and I shamefully admit not knowing where Blountsville is. Time to whip out mapquest.com.

We need to work on putting a 4-some together in a convenient location. Where do you usually play in Blountsville?

[coralpro]

There are quite a few nice courses here and some that are real reasonable especially during special times of the week. Halk was asking about the municipal course here and it is a good challenging course with nice fast greens. I have a favorite shorter course I play at alot and it is 22 on the weekdays including cart. I've never taken anyone there that didn't like it but it is not a long course and plays 5000 from the whites and 5400 from the back tees.

[coralpro]

Originally Posted by Bamaphotopro

Wow .. I'm an Alabama native and I shamefully admit not knowing where Blountsville is. Time to whip out mapquest.com.

We need to work on putting a 4-some together in a convenient location. Where do you usually play in Blountsville?

Be careful or he might want to go to Twin Lakes. There are two RTJ courses in Huntsville as well as they have a par 3 course also.

[Bamaphotopro]

Originally Posted by coralpro

There are quite a few nice courses here and some that are real reasonable especially during special times of the week. Halk was asking about the municipal course here and it is a good challenging course with nice fast greens. I have a favorite shorter course I play at alot and it is 22 on the weekdays including cart. I've never taken anyone there that didn't like it but it is not a long course and plays 5000 from the whites and 5400 from the back tees.

Not long = good for me. I'm certainly not considered long off the tee by today's standards, although I guess 230-240 ain't bad for an ol' hoss like me.

Let's keep in touch and as the weather warms maybe we can schedule something. I can usually swing a Friday afternoon pretty easily.

[Bamaphotopro]

Originally Posted by coralpro

Be careful or he might want to go to Twin Lakes. There are two RTJ courses in Huntsville as well as they have a par 3 course also.

So is Twin Lakes better or good? (No such thing as a 'bad' golf course, IMO. LOL!) I learned how to play at an ol' horse track here called Mimosa Country Club. In its heyday (the 60's) it was the crown jewel of Tuscaloosa society. The pool even sported an Olympic diving platform! But in it's last days, the course was overrun with weeds and the greens were pretty much sand and a few blades of bermuda. Thankfully, someone bought the property and is building some condos and re-designing the course. I hope it opens up again very soon. I can't wait to see what they did with the old place!

So halk ... tell me about Twin Lakes!

[halk]

Twin lakes is a course that will eat your lunch in a hurry it is an old course been around since I was a kid. Has undulating greens and depending on the time of the year can be like putting on glass, when I play it I usually play from the white’s have played from the blues either tee is a challenge. I posted a link to the course below, as far as I know it is still in great shape I did not play it last year (should have it is only eleven minutes from my house) I usually play the municipal course at Cullman or the State Park course in Guntersville (the state park is tough course hilly and long from the middle tees). Like you said there are no bad golf courses just some that are a little better.

http://www.playtwinlakes.com/golf/pr.../home/home.htm

[coralpro]

Twin Lakes is a real nice course and has a lot of age on it. Trees in places where when originally designed were ok and now they are 30 times the size. It is a tough track and the course hates me but I still like the challenge although I don't like to look at the final score. Any weekday other than wednesday I can normally get away from the shop. I can swing Sundays some also depending on if the wife lets me off.

[PingsRbest]

Hi Bama and welcome to the forum! We are so happy to have you join us here and we hope you enjoy your time with us!

[xnavyct]

Welcome to the forum Bamaphotopro! Looks like you've made some local connections already

[Bamaphotopro]

Originally Posted by halk

Twin lakes is a course that will eat your lunch in a hurry it is an old course been around since I was a kid. Has undulating greens and depending on the time of the year can be like putting on glass, when I play it I usually play from the white’s have played from the blues either tee is a challenge. I posted a link to the course below, as far as I know it is still in great shape I did not play it last year (should have it is only eleven minutes from my house) I usually play the municipal course at Cullman or the State Park course in Guntersville (the state park is tough course hilly and long from the middle tees). Like you said there are no bad golf courses just some that are a little better.

http://www.playtwinlakes.com/golf/pr.../home/home.htm

Wow, halk ... sounds like a bit more of a challenge than I am up for so early in my return. But I will agree that we all need to work to get together for a round. You guys are certainly welcome to drive down and take a trip around Ol' Colony, or maybe even The Capstone Club which would be much closer to both of you as it is just off I-59/20 between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa.

http://www.capstoneclub.com/capstone...=241&page=4688

Let's work it out!

- Bama

[Bamaphotopro]

Originally Posted by coralpro

Twin Lakes is a real nice course and has a lot of age on it. Trees in places where when originally designed were ok and now they are 30 times the size. It is a tough track and the course hates me but I still like the challenge although I don't like to look at the final score. Any weekday other than wednesday I can normally get away from the shop. I can swing Sundays some also depending on if the wife lets me off.

Trees always seem to be of the 'Wizard of Oz' variety where they reach out and grab your ball and they either throw it straight down amongst the roots or throw it into the nearest OB. LOL!

The best quote I ever heard about trees on a golf course was either from Gary McCord or David Feherty (can't remember which one). Their booth partner said that 'trees were 90% air', and whichever one it was said (and I quote), 'But so is a screen door!' so true, so true!

- Bama

[Bamaphotopro]

Originally Posted by PingsRbest

Hi Bama and welcome to the forum! We are so happy to have you join us here and we hope you enjoy your time with us!

Thanks, PRB! So far, I love it here!

- Bama

[Bamaphotopro]

Originally Posted by xnavyct

Welcome to the forum Bamaphotopro! Looks like you've made some local connections already

Thanks! I am loving it here already!

But I am curious ... ex-Navy ???? Pardon my ignorance, but can't figure that one out.

- Bama