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Black Friday

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Now that we’ve given thanks, our attention has turned to the next big event – Black Friday. Not for nothing but, what a dismal name to unofficially kick off the holiday shopping season. I mean it sounds like a cursed day. No? I’m sure there are a ton of people out there shopping right now that think so.


Black Friday means more than watching two people fight over the last half priced Gucci scarf. Although it is quite entertaining, just like watching those midnight shoppers come out of the store at day break looking like extras from “Dawn Of The Dead”. There is more to this day than just shopping, for me at least. It marks the end of my golf season here in the northeast.

I vote that this day be celebrated. We celebrate “ends” for other things i.e. Thanksgiving. Whereas if you didn’t know, celebrates the harvest which is the end of the growing season. We celebrate retirement, the end of our working days (for the most part). We also celebrate New Years. Sure you can say that it is a celebration for the new year but we celebrate it on the last day. The end of the year. The New Years anthem, Auld Lang Syne, is written in past tense and doesn’t really mention what’s to come rather what has happened.

Golf courses should follow in the Black Friday tradition and offer great deals. Oh I don’t know, greens fees half off maybe? Buy a round get one free perhaps…which is pretty much the same as half off. But you get the idea, right? There could be a closing ceremony in the 19th hole with ridiculous drink and food specials. A crazy band playing, people dancing on the bar, a few nut bags streaking on the 18th green. Oh man, it’s gonna be great! Weather permitting of course. Who’s with me?

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!

Why Don’t We Tailgate For Golf?

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I don’t know about you, but to me, going to a football game goes hand-in-hand with tailgating. I almost feel that if I go to a game and I don’t tailgate, somehow I’ve missed out on something. As a matter of fact, it’s been a good five or six years since I went to a game and I didn’t tailgate.

But to clarify, I don’t get the chance to go to many games, so it’s not like I’m a tailgating pro. On the contrary, a few times my buddies and I have managed to turn our big day into a comedy of errors! But, it’s still a good time nonetheless.

But it’s strange how tailgating seems to go only with football. For instance, I’ve never tailgated at any baseball game I’ve ever been to. Same for basketball, hockey,etc… Why is that? Is it a parking situation? I think that might have alot to do with it. It seems for football games,I’ve parked in lots. But for all other sports, I’ve been in a parking garage, took a train to the game or parked on the street somewhere. None of these are really conducive to tailgating. But you know what sport is? Golf.

Think about it. When you go to a golf tournament, the opportunity to tailgate is tremendous! Here in the northeast, golf season occurs during grilling season anyway, so the weather is probably on the nicer side. Also, I’d say that chances are you’re not parking in a garage, taking a train in, or parking on a busy city street. Any golf tournament I’ve ever attended had me parked in a large field/lot…perfect for tailgating!

So why has tailgating never taken off with golf? If it’s such a fun tradition for football, then why not find the time to do it during a summer sport as well? I think I may try to start up a little something new next year. The Travelers Championship will be taking place in the area next June. Maybe instead of my buddies and I bringing just a pair of comfortable sneakers, we’ll pack up some burgers, dogs, a grill and a few brews!

Maybe we can start a new tailgating tradition. A summer tailgating tradition. Maybe we can start up a whole new trend! And hey, even if it turns out to be not all that great, it sure beats being stuck inside paying $7 for a beer and $6 for a pathetic looking burger wrapped in aluminum foil, right?

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Stop Bitching About Not Playing Enough Golf

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I’m a hypocrite. I’m the one who wrote the title of this post. I’m also the one doing most of the bitching.

To those who know I play golf, it’s the same old sob story – they ask how my golf season was and my answer, “that I’ve hardly played golf this year” sounds as though I’m someone in mourning.

And perhaps I am. I’m mourning the death of what was once a spring, summer and fall packed with golf nearly every weekend. But this year that’s all changed. I haven’t played since early August, which seems like eons ago. I explained the reasons for my dearth of golf in this post from September.

Autumn is typically my favorite time of year to play – the bright colors of New England trees, the crisp air – yet sadly this fall, I haven’t stepped one-foot on a tee-box, fairway or green. Not because of the gout (I’ve shed 15 pounds now and have been hobble-free for a few months), but for a multitude of other things, including a freak October snow storm.

My aguish over not playing has gotten so bad that I recently thought to myself; “so this is how it would be if I quit golf altogether.” Seriously, thinking of myself standing on a tee-box getting ready to hit is almost surreal for me these days…what was it like to hit a perfect tee shot on a bright sunny day? I’m not really sure I know anymore.

Ah, but this is all bull shit, isn’t it? We weekend hacks are stuck in a catch 22 – we don’t play enough so we are hacks. We’re hacks because we don’t play enough. We could go on and on. But the truth is we are husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, homeowners, employees, supervisors, vice presidents and grandparents. In other words; we have lives.

And in most cases, the parenting, managing and maintenance takes precedence over golf – not just because these things have to come first, but often because we want them to come first (like spending time with my 1-year-old, for instance). Would we love to be out on the course more often? Of course. Is that realistic? Not for many. So we lace-up the soft spikes when we can and sign a scorecard that ends up looking like we went bowling instead. It is what it is.

So when you do get a chance to play, why beat yourself up over how bad you shoot? The fact that you’re out there having fun; enjoying the day; enjoying the camaraderie; and having some “me” time – isn’t that really what this game is all about?

Yes, I’ve played only 7 times this season and yes, I’ve complained about it.

But I’m a hypocrite no longer.

You Look Like You’re Going Golfing?!

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Do you ever watch Curb Your Enthusiasm? If not, you should. If you do, do you remember that episode when Larry tells people he’s not golfing, but he dresses in khakis and a polo so everyone thinks he’s lying? Despite his explanation that he just likes the outfit, no one believes him. It’s a great episode.

Funny thing happened today. I’m in a store with my kids when one of them says to me “I think that guy is going golfing.” I ask what makes him think that. Sure enough, the answer is “Look what he’s wearing.” So I look over and, of course, find a guy wearing.., yup, you guessed it…khakis and a polo. That situation immediately makes me think of the “Curb” episode.

But, thinking into the situation even further, I start to realize that several days a week, this could be me as well. I go to work looking like this many times. It’s a pair of khakis or dress slacks and either a button-down shirt or a polo. On the days I choose to go with the polo, even my boss would make comments – “You golfing after work?” or “What, do you plan on leaving early today?”

But I guess that’s good for a few reasons. One being, even if I am going golfing, I can lie to a person with whom I may not feel like playing golf. I can simply say “No, I’m not playing today. I’m working.”

But seriously, dressing that way does give me the ability to be ready to hit the links at any moment. I can get a call at work, and within minutes of leaving, I’m on the first tee! When the phone rings, it’s like Batman seeing the Bat Signal!

I think that’s a testament to looking at golf as an every man’s game rather than with the “rich man’s game” connotation. The fact that any one of us can pretty much step away from our desks and step onto a golf course, doing not much more than changing our shoes, speaks volumes to the access we all have to this great game. Sure, it’s not an inexpensive sport, but if you play the right courses, it’s not exactly a bank-breaker either.

So keep in mind for next year to get yourself a few extra polo’s. Wear ’em to work, keep one in your car, do whatever you gotta do to be prepared. Then, you too can be Batman!

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Veteran’s Day Appreciation

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When I was younger, I didn’t realize the full meaning of Veteran’s Day. Yeah, I knew what it was all about. I knew the reason for it. But, despite having a father who was a veteran of the Vietnam War, I was still in the dark as far as the meaning of Veteran’s Day to actual veterans as well as the active military.

But over time, especially considering the events of the past ten years, I’ve grown to understand more fully the effect of Veteran’s Day. But for me, it was never more understood than when I began to meet some of the veterans face-to-face.

Though my experience was not golf-related, being in the golf-blogging world, I have gotten to learn about several of the charitable organizations related to veterans. Organizations such as Wounded Warriors Project as well as the golf-related Bunkers in Baghdad have given inspiration, help and hope to both wounded veterans as well as the active military still hard at work overseas.

Though I’ve gained some understanding of the meaning of these organizations to the veterans themselves by reading many of the comments from both the organizers and veterans alike, you can’t quite get the full effect unless you hear it directly from the horse’s mouth.

I was fortunate enough to gain this perspective a month ago while assisting my wife at a local fair. Setting up a booth to help raise money for her Wear Red Fridays campaign, I had the opportunity to meet many veterans, as well as their friends and family, who stopped by the booth either to purchase a t-shirt, donate money or just give thanks for the support. It’s from the veterans and active military that you can really understand what the support of others means to them.

So this Veteran’s Day, keep in mind the reason this holiday exists in the first place. Unfortunately, it sometimes seems more like a reason for a car dealership to promote a “sale.” But if you take a minute to speak to one of our brave servicemen or women, you will gain a better understanding of the appreciation they have for the support of the people for whom they are serving.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

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