[twoplanekid]

I haven’t played a round of golf in 50 years. So, I was amazed at what has taken place to help those who now play golf in the 21st century. The Villages Golf Academy is something else.

When I last played in the sixties, the drivers were all made of wood and were numbered 1 thru 5. Now the drivers are metal with different numbering schemes. I can’t recall ever using a PW or SW club. Wow, so many clubs to use for that correct shot. How can people stay under that 14 club bag limit?

During the refresher course, we sat in an air-conditioned enclose to watch the instructor in person and on the computer screen show use how to correctly hit the ball. I don’t think we had neither YouTube videos back then nor radar & computers to analyze the movement of the hit ball. Golf now looks easy with so much technology to help our game playing.

With all of this technology to help, I should be able to reenter the game of golf at a much higher level. Although, I seem to have lost some of my muscle memory or just plain memory as my playing pickleball results in good days and then some off days. Never the less, I am anxious to return to the game of golf.

[Polar Bear]

Welcome back to the game we love to hate!

[Topspinmo]

Equipment has gotten better, you should be able to drive the ball at least 30 to 50 yards further, spin to ball better and of course never miss putt by foot

[villagetinker]

OH, you have never seen me on a golf course......My tee shirt says "If you see me on a golf course RUN!", on the back it says "If you see me with a driver, run FASTER!!", equipment may have gotten better, but the operator, not so much, at least not this one....

[John_W]

Originally Posted by twoplanekid

I haven’t played a round of golf in 50 years. So, I was amazed at what has taken place to help those who now play golf in the 21st century. The Villages Golf Academy is something else.

I did something similar. I started playing golf in 1962 when I was 12. I went to a par 3 in downtown St. Petersburg every Saturday for a year and for $3 I could play all day. A couple of years later my dad was playing as well and we joined a country club. It was only $360 a year, that's the right number. Played a couple of times a week until I was 19 and then joined the Army, that was 1969 was the last I played.

Jump ahead 40 years, I got a stent in my heart in 2007 and was told I had diabetes II and high blood pressure. So in 2009 at the age of 59 I bought a bicycle and a set of golf clubs. There was some memory there, I never shot over 100, but about 95 was average at first. Now it's been 8 years I've been playing, I've broken 80 about six times from the blue tees, average about an 85 for the most part. My neighbor that I play with is a 4 handicap so I have gotten better by playing with a much better golfer. Everybody has one part of their game that is their best. Mine is driving. Although I'm only 5'9" 157 lbs I've only had about 3 Villagers outdrive me and I'm pretty straight as well off the tee. This explains why I never like playing the executives, I have to put keep my best club in the bag. My biggest problem is I hate to practice and I also don't play enough, once a week is about all I have time for anymore.

I don't know how athletic you were or are. I was always into sports and when we moved to TV the first thing I did was go out and get evaluated for softball. I just quit last year after 15 seasons in a row of neighborhood softball. Five years was enough for me, that was 5 years every Saturday and it's felt good to take a break. Maybe you play pickleball, softball, whatever, it all helps in keeping limber at our age. I've been a member of MVP for close to 4 years, and yoga and exercising the treadmill and all that stuff will help your golf game.