I've been playing 10-12 times a year for 20 years now. I'm just now feeling like I can actually play. I have shitty clubs and a $25 driver. I'm hoping to upgrade to some Taylor Made Burner irons in April. I was hitting the absolute SHIT out of the ball off the tee at the end of last season, so I might keep that $25 driver.

My "almost" hole-in-one story: 15 years ago on a long par 3...don't remember the yardage or the club that I hit, but it was probably a 5. This was before I knew how to hit a golfball. Anyway, I hit it and it's dead center, going right at the pin. I saw it bounce real close to the hole and much to my surprise it checked up and stayed about 4 feet from the hole.

As I got to the green I was searching for the ball mark to fix it, but there was not ball mark on the entire green. I looked in the hole and there was a half-ball mark buried into the lip and side of the cup. So I kind of got a hole-in-one, it just didn't stay in. If I had actually hit a lofted shot and not a 400 mph line drive...oh well. I did make the bird though...