Enjoying retirement at last!
2dueces
Posts: 6,855 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Sports Talk
Retired last month at age 69. I quit golfing about 25 years ago and have taken it back up. Technology has come a long way in 30 years!! Had to switch from stiff shaft to regular graphite because my swing speed is slower. Went with TaylorMade Qi10 driver Stealth woods and irons. Swing is still there, just a bit rusty. Joined a local CC and seniors get together 3 mornings a week. Right now I’m just pounding ball to get ready. Updates to follow. Anyway enjoying retirement at last!!!
W.C.Fields
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
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Comments
Congrats on your retirement!!! I hope you get to spend lots of time out golfing.
I remember an old guy my grandfather used to hang around with. His goal was to get out and play 100 rounds a year. some years he got out even more. that guy really enjoyed his retirement.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Thanks. I’m still physically fit and plan to play 3 times a week. Hopefully the body holds up. Lol
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Congrats Joe!!!!
I'm so happy for you my friend!!!
ENJOY!!!
digging everything about this post. congrats on retirement, and double congrats on the new sticks and 3 tee times per week.
you sound like a great recruit for CU golf talk that presently consists of only galaxy & bluejay
Enjoy your retirement. As galaxy noted him and I hold court on golf interest. Maybe you will report your first hole in one on the forum.⛳
I’ll update my progress in that thread. Most likely a few weeks away from actually hitting the course. I know it will take some time but I don’t want to completely embarrass myself so practice, practice, practice.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Thanks buddy. After 55 years of working it’s kinda funny not having a paycheck. lol. But the wife and I have planned well so all is good.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
dueces on his way to his first post-retirement tee time
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UoDKR7AplI4
Lol
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
I love it!!
Hi Joe.
My father, also a Joe, loved golf and had the same plan as you. He didn't make it to retirement though.
Good for you!
@JoeBanzai said:
My father also had the same plan and like your dad didn’t make it. I’m enjoying it for him now.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Sounds like a good plan. I would imagine that a lot of us are almost there as well; I know that I'm not too far away from that life chapter.
After a month on the range first time on the course. You can hit range balls all day but nothing prepares you for chipping and putting on a new course. Extremely rusty and not used to the speed of the greens. Went out with the mindset not to get frustrated with bad shots and to just enjoy myself. 44-46 - 90. True 90 as it’s the only way I can gauge if I improve.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Take aim to shoot your age as a goal. I believe Gary Player stated he can shoot his age, 90.
Yeah but they were pro. I’m going to be happy again when I shoot in the 70’s, then I’ll work towards par. Right now I’m just having fun not having to get up and go to work.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
I can shoot my age, 61, in 6 or 7 holes so what’s the challenge there?
Congrats deuces on your retirement!
Enjoy it to the fullest which sounds like what you intend to do. Great way to exercise and stay in shape!
Shot 85 today. Stayed away from the big #’s and had my first birdie. Sharper with the wedges and putting. Irons are still rusty. Should have had more chances at birdie but am missing the green. Driver hasn’t been a problem and 3 wood off the deck is straight.
Progress
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Went to the range early to work on a few things. Look in front of the ball on iron shots. ( eliminates duffs). I was taking the club back too far inside and to fast. Check. Look behind the ball with my driver on the tee. Check. Went out and shot 37 on the front nine. Was even going into 8 but bogie, bogie. Can’t remember how many good putts I had for birdie and missed. My one birdie was a chip in on a par 3. Progress.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
from 90 to 37 on the front in less than a week is serious progress
Thanks @galaxy27 Now I need to keep this up and learn the greens. My speed is getting better but I’m still a little off.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Took a step backwards today. 41-45. The back nine is a mother. Long holes with water. 11 has water just in driving range. 2nd is 180 out with water all down the right side and about 5 feet right of the green. Bunker protects the left side. My nightmare so far. 10 isn’t too much easier. 2nd shot 165 uphill over water. 16 is a par 3 190 down hill. 17 is a par 5. If you crush a drive it’s down by the water. Tight downhill lie with water all down the left with an uphill shot. 18 if you crush a drive is 160 down hill with water in front of the green.
Not playing well enough for any of those holes to be comfortable yet. Those holes are a card wrecker.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Forgot the most important thing in golf. Swing easy and stop trying to kill it. Was getting embarrassing until I hit a few balls on the range. My natural swing is just fine.
38-44. No water balls! One ball all round. Left 3 birdie putts 6 inches short and lipped out another. Man it felt really good. Still need work chipping. These greens are hard and no spin. I’m chipping pin high and running out 8 ft. But no chunks.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
@2dueces
i'm a 5 handi. i can still get it around a track pretty well, but i've never thought i'm this stud golfer. if you are passionate about something in life and do it long enough, you can typically become fairly good at it. that's the way i look at it. and that's how i would describe my game -- i'm decent because i've been playing for over 40 years. but trust me, there have been many peaks and valleys over that time.
you know as well as i that golf is more mental than physical. all it takes is one lingering thought that shouldn't be there, and all of a sudden you have created that fraction of an inch that can result in 10-20 yards of accuracy. it's a total findmuck.
i myself used to have serious yips on the greens. i'm talking almost gimme range. i had reached a point where i completely psyched myself out while standing over a ball. then, i made some wholesale changes -- and it all started with what was taking place between my ears. i would gauge the break and speed while reading a putt, but the moment i stood over the ball i removed all thoughts and concentrated on one thing and one thing only: making a smooth, fluid, seamless stroke. as much as i wanted that ball to find the bottom of the hole, i stopped worrying about that. from then on i told myself, "if i miss this putt, it's not going to be because i didn't put a good stroke on it." if it went in, mission accomplished. if it didn't, it wasn't because something involuntarily grabbed hold of me and created that fraction i spoke of up above. if you focus solely on making a beautiful, Ben Crenshaw-esque stroke, each and every time, more and more putts will begin to drop.
.02 from a someone who has come perilously close to being institutionalized by this sport more times than he cares to publicly admit
love your recaps. hit 'em straight & have fun. ⛳️🍻
Regardless how your game goes, there is always the 19th hole.🍺🍕. Or a 19th Nervous Breakdown,a nod to the Stones.
Great advice and you’re 100% right that 90% of the game is played in the 3” between your ears.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Went to a different course today. Reason I started I was talking to a guy while our wives were at the salon a month ago. 3 birdies and a chip for eagle on a par 5 landed 3 inches from the cup. He just had hip replacement so he’s been dying to get out. Another fun day.
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
Played the extremely hard back nine today.
10 bogie
11 par (first and never had less than double. Usually worse
12 par
13 bogie
14 par. First
15 double
16 par
17 par (first , usually water ball and 8
18 bogie
Little steps. Last time I played I had 3 total points on the back.
13 today. Little steps
"I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.