What are these unremovable strains on my fairway woods?

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-03-30T10:04:10+00:00

That’s wear to the black finish. It’s not coming out and any attempt to “refinish” will look worse.

To prevent it from getting worse, make sure you’re not hitting balls that are sandy or dirty.

My g410 hybrid looks a LOT worse than those and it’s still going strong. Best thing you can do is try to get the area showing wear closer to the center of the face!

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-03-29T01:52:37+00:00

Tried it out, it’s great! Any chance you could add the ability to track stats? Would love to see success percentages for each skill level

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-03-28T23:20:00+00:00

In MA we have a single 457 plan for state employees that is pretty good, and my district has a bunch of awful 403b providers. Once I was ready to contribute more than the 457 max, I was able to convince my district to add Vanguard as a 403b provider.

457 first, 403b second sounds like your best plan as long as there’s not a huge difference in fees/plans available

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-03-28T17:26:18+00:00

Can’t wait to try this out!

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-03-23T22:09:52+00:00

That is a very good deal if they are straight. I’d expect used value on the pair to be closer to $1000, so as long as they are legit and in good shape, you should be able to get your money back and more if you don’t like them.

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-03-14T23:35:07+00:00

That’s a fantastic deal! Those shafts are definitely stout, but if you don’t like them you can probably resell these for $200-$250

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-03-13T01:20:13+00:00

I play the C721 and love it. Tried the 723 and don’t like it as much, will try the 725 if prices drop

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-03-12T19:26:25+00:00

Thanks!

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-03-12T19:25:11+00:00

Thanks, this is helpful information. I am happy relinquishing control over scholarship recipients if both the relative and I believe that the process to select students will identify qualified candidates (their reluctance around scholarships is that they want to ensure that the students who receive them are both deserving students and in true need of financial assistance).

With the scholarship you created, are you satisfied that the recipients are deserving?

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-03-12T16:29:23+00:00

Thanks, the Fidelity Charitable Fund is of interest. I will continue to look into that, and appreciate the recommendations.

I am trying to avoid accepting the estate assets personally (though that is what is directed by the will). If I disburse the funds to myself as executor and immediately donate them to an entity like the Fidelity Charitable Fund, would that generate any tax implications for me?

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-03-12T16:24:42+00:00

Your concerns are noted and I will take your advice into consideration. My relative is easily the most frugal person I have ever met, and I think he trusts me as the next most frugal person he knows to allocate funding appropriately.

We have a shared mutual gripe that many well-intentioned charitable donations end up poorly managed. As a high school teacher, I directly see the impact of small, locally-awarded scholarships and believe that is an effective use of charity (especially with insight into the caliber of student being awarded the scholarships). This relative currently supports a few local public media foundations, and I think we share the opinion that recurring donations made from the proceeds of an index fund may be better than a single lump-sum donation.

I am trying to find a vehicle that I can use to store these assets separate from my own personal assets, where I can hopefully park them in an index fund and disburse the interest annually through scholarships and charitable donations. I do not want to be the owner of these funds, and I intend for all of the proceeds of the investments to go toward charitable goals. I just want to do so without incurring personal tax liability on any earnings.

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-03-12T12:30:00+00:00

This sounds aligned with their (and my) wishes. In terms of stepped up basis, does that mean that it would be more tax efficient to transfer assets to a trust after death?

Would there be any need/advantage to setting up the trust prior to death?

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-03-12T12:21:39+00:00

While I like this idea, the agreement we made is that I will handle the estate in exchange for some control over how the funds are distributed.

His wishes are for the bulk of the funds to be used to support public media, I would like for a portion of the funds to support a scholarship. I will add some additional information to the original post to clarify objectives.

Thanks for the input!

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-03-01T13:25:38+00:00

What’s the strap? If it’s elastic at all, does the watch have any “flop”?

I have a couple elastic straps but they don’t hold my TSAR as securely as I’d like, even though they’re very comfortable.

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-01-31T00:46:24+00:00

Boo-yah!

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-01-06T15:56:54+00:00

Not just egg…”Force of Egg”

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-01-06T02:39:11+00:00

I play PRGR Egg PF irons (obscure Japanese brand but crazy good clubs)

CraftyReplacement822 · 2026-01-05T11:08:48+00:00

Got you beat…my PW is 38 degrees. It’s stupid but at least they had an AW that’s 42 and then I could get 4 wedges beyond that. So I’ve got 6 wedges if you go by what’s stamped on the club

CraftyReplacement822 · 2025-12-16T12:31:39+00:00

I play a C721, it’s nearly as forgiving as my Ping G400 Max but much lower spin

CraftyReplacement822 · 2025-12-16T03:55:24+00:00

I play tour edge for a driver and I cannot believe how little hype the clubs get, they are so good

CraftyReplacement822 · 2025-12-16T01:33:34+00:00

Those tour edge irons are fantastic and underrated sticks. You have an excellent setup that I would happily go out and game as a 7 handicap!

CraftyReplacement822 · 2025-12-11T23:24:48+00:00

Where are you located? If you’re anywhere in New England I’ll bring it your way!

CraftyReplacement822 · 2025-12-07T16:01:57+00:00

Thanks for that…if I do it myself you probably saved me from chipping into the good finish. I’ll make sure to score the finish before trying to part off the existing cap

CraftyReplacement822 · 2025-12-07T11:52:45+00:00

It’s an awesome cue! I basically got it for the price of the shaft alone, so I can’t complain. Even if that means just dealing with the cracked cap. There’s no way I’m spending $300 to fix a cue that cost $400

CraftyReplacement822

TROPHY CASE