Cold Open
Boxes line the hallway. Your clubs lean up against the wall, awaiting the inevitable placement in an unknown and unfamiliar truck. The walls are bare, the nails still holding faint outlines of old frames. The air feels thinner when a place is emptied. You tape the last box shut and let the echo settle.
Outside, the truck waits. The road points backward, not forward. Back to where it started. Back to the soil that shaped you, the faces that raised you.
Leaving feels heavy. Returning feels heavier still.
How to Build the Home Practice Station
Thanks to a recent reader email, I have gone down the rabbit hole of trying to build a decent at-home setup for under $1000. If you live up north and have the space to put one, an at-home setup is crucial to staying sharp during the winter months. I’ve put together a decent one below that should work for all skill levels:
The Net - Spornia SPG - 7, $330
The Mat - FiberBuilt, $500
Optional - Training aids of your choice. I won’t prescribe any here since every swing is unique. Ask your coach/friends for recs.
Optional - Trackman or equivalent (Rapsodo, Bushnell, Garmin, etc) They will run you anywhere from $500-$1000 bucks. A worthwhile investment if you’re serious about getting better.
Now that we have the basics down, I want to touch a bit on hitting balls into nets and off of mats. Don’t overdo it. The last thing you want is to grove a feeling that works on a mat but leads to thin/chunked shots or hooks/slices on the course. Mats and nets are great for working on tempo and club face position/angle, but not much else. I’ve been toying with the idea of working on some speed training this winter, but don’t want to mess with my timing or sequencing. To the gym we go.
Going into the winter, you should have a good feel for elements of your swing that require fine tuning. An example could be flexibility and your swing plane, or your club face and the takeaway. Don’t expect to hibernate and then come spring be a Country Club Stick. I joked about it, but it’s an imperfect substitute for playing actual golf holes.
If you truly are unable to play outdoor golf from November-March, I’d suggest hitting balls a few times into the net each week with a training aide (or video) of your swing. Ensure you have some sort of feedback that isn’t just the ball hitting the back of the net.
3 Things I Know I Know
The Ryder Cup uniforms are once again a disgrace. I ranked some of my favorites here: The Top 5 US Ryder Cup Outfits
I haven’t had much time to focus on menswear outside of golf, but I’m slowly coming to the realization that white-soled dress shoes have taken over the world. Elite clubs should ban them.
I noticed a bunch of players at the Met Open doing the tee gate putting drill. One guy was doing it one-handed with each hand. Food for thought.
Logo of the Week
Anyone?
Observations From The Met Open
As I return from my few days on the course at one of New York’s premier golf events of the summer, I will drop a few observations (good and bad) here:
The Good
Meadow Brook is an awesome club and a fantastic host for the event. It’s clubhouse is in my top 5 that I’ve ever stepped inside.
The conditioning of the course was superb. Despite a little rain, the fairways and greens maintained their firm and fast speeds throughout the week.
Not as many white belts as I would’ve guessed
A good representation of PM/Draddy/Johnnie O/ H&B by the players. Bravo.
I love watching great amateurs and pros play. Something about the crisp ball striking in competition gets the juices flowing.
The Bad
This guy. I honestly couldn’t believe it when I first saw him. I was initially distracted by the offensively ugly shirt, but it was a smart move by him! Trying to bury the lede of wearing gym shorts with a drawstring and no belt. Egregious! I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him. Like watching a car crash in real time. At a muni? This works. But at Meadow Brook? A founding member of the Met Golf Association that has been around since 1881? Come on now.
Airpods on the range and putting green. Not sure why, but it just irks me.
Camo golf bags. Pass.
Tons of tees left in the ground on par 3s. Not a great etiquette showing from the players here, especially at a club like MBH. It takes two seconds to dig your tee up. It’s a simple sign of respect for the course.
The Invite List
If you’re just getting into playing competitive amateur golf (not member guests or country club tournaments), here are a few pieces of advice I have for you:
Show up to the first tee 10 minutes before you’re scheduled to tee off. This gives you time to get the pin sheet, mark your balls, exchange scorecards.
Plan out your practice session ahead of time. Don’t hit balls for 50 minutes then putts for 5 minutes. Split it half/half and make sure you’re not “grinding” or working on your swing as you warm up. The purpose of the range session before you play is to loosen your muscles and get a feel for how your body is moving that day.
Finish the range session by hitting the club you’ll be hitting on the first tee. Hit a good one before you go.
On the putting green, make a bunch of straight 3 and 4 footers first to build confidence, then hit a few lag putts.
Talk soon,
BTG
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Each Saturday, we go deep — with a satirical essay covering behind the scenes nonsense at elite private clubs.
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