GolfStinks

A Golf Blog for the Rest of Us!

What Makes a Good 19th Hole?

| By | 5 Comments

19th Hole bar
What does your course’s 19th hole look like? (photo by Rama / CC BY-SA 2.0 FR)

I’ve played hundreds of different golf courses over the years. Some of them nice, others not so much. Some of them famous, others just local munis. And yet despite the vast differences in layout and scenery (or lack thereof), these courses all have the ability to cheer you up after a poor round; provide the backdrop for you to celebrate an ace; or just continue the camaraderie indoors after your round is over.

I’m talking about, of course, that after-round watering hole…where finding the drink doesn’t involve a lost ball or two-stroke penalty: The 19th Hole. But just like the golf courses they’re attached to, not all 19th holes are created equal. Golfers want a place where there’s good beer on tap; decent bar fare; and sports (especially golf) on television.

But what makes a good 19th hole? Well, I’d say the first step is to actually have one, which believe it or not, a couple courses I’ve played failed to do. One place was actually a pretty nice 18-hole course, so I was quite surprised to find the only refreshments on premises were contained in two vending machines in the pro shop. A golf course stands to make a good amount of dough from a 19th hole, so not having one is somewhat of a poor business decision. So for all the courses out there that actually do have a 19th hole, let’s discuss what makes a good one…

Drinks

Let’s talk about beer first. Courses should have a good selection on tap. After all, the 19th hole is first and foremost a bar. And while there are still many folks who love nothing more than to drain a bottle of domestic libation, increasingly people in general (golfers included) are wanting a good selection of imported or craft brew on tap. In this, many 19th holes, at least here in the U.S., fall short.

What about spirits? Again, this is a bar and someone back there needs to know how to mix a drink – especially the classics. Golf is a classic and somewhat sophisticated game – and maybe just sometimes, we golfers need to be treated as sophisticated folks. And while I’m at it, a modest selection of cigars would be a good idea too – even if we have to puff them out on the patio – which leads me to…

Ambiance

A patio is definitely a plus – preferably looking over the 18th green so you can heckle your pals putting-out in the group behind you. But with or without a patio, ambiance is kind of important. Golfers like to relax in a little bit of class. Too many 19th holes look like a crappy diner inside. This may not bother everyone but to me, you should put as much thought and care into the bar as you do the fairways and greens. A nice-looking 19th hole will bring in more patrons and keep them there longer.

Food

Some 19th holes try and do too much. That’s fine if you can pull it off, but most of the time a simple tavern menu will do: A high-quality burger; tuna and/or turkey club sandwiches; a salad option; and then some appetizer-type selections (wings, cheese fries, nachos, etc.). And when golfers are sitting at the bar, have some stuff for them to snack on – the classic bar mix is great but even just pretzels will work. Folks like to munch on something when they drink – and they drink more when they eat a salty snack.

Friendliness (of both the staff and patrons)

Too many courses treat their 19th hole as an afterthought and as a result the staff does too…sadly, poor service is commonplace. But many times the staff isn’t the only problem – the regular patrons are sometimes snooty cliques that don’t like unfamiliar faces drinking their beer. Perhaps nothing feels more uncomfortable than walking into a bar where everyone looks at you like you don’t belong. Golf courses need to welcome folks to their 19th hole with open arms. Hell, all courses should advertise their 19th hole on the 17th and 18th tee-boxes.

Done right, a19th hole can be a successful bar that adds profits to a golf course. And it should offer the drinks; menu; ambiance; and hospitality people look to immerse themselves in after a round of golf. My perfect 19th hole experience would be sitting out on a patio watching golfers finishing-out on the 18th; drinking a Belgian wheat; chowing a juicy grass-fed burger on an artesian roll; and capping-it-all-off with a nice robusto cigar. But that’s just me.

How about you?

Food Is The Way To A Golfers Heart

| By | 2 Comments

Golf courses should give a little to get a little...
Golf courses should give a little to get a little…

It’s funny…there are sometimes places I just don’t want to go and people I simply don’t want to go with.  Sometimes it’s a person or a couple that you know well enough to feel that you just can’t tolerate spending any significant amount of time with.  Maybe it’s a person or a couple that you don’t really know, but know enough about to already feel like you’re going to have a miserable time.  It may even be a person you’ve never met, but you just don’t want to deal with entertaining a new person.  Do you know what I mean?  I feel that way a lot, in both my personal and professional life.  If I don’t want to go spend time with this person or people, then I’m not going.  Unless there’s food.  The idea and the chance that there may be good food can convince me to go almost anywhere and give almost anyone a chance.

Now this doesn’t work only for me.  This is also very common in my professional life, as well as many others who work for a living.  My job occasionally requires me to go to a “networker” or that type of event.  I’m not going to say I “hate” going to those things, but I will call it a strong dislike.  My boss can tell me he needs me to go because he can’t make it.  I’ll hem and haw a bit, but then he’ll tell me…”They always do a good job with the food there.”  OK…I’ll go.  “Open bar” works just about as well.  Whatever venue holds the event, or whichever organization hosts it, is happy to provide the food in the hopes that some of the attendees will be returning.  Wouldn’t it be nice if golf courses did the same?

Yes, I know there are plenty of tournaments where the post-round spread is a large part of the event.  But I’m talking about more of a course “open house” if you will.  Why not use this type of thing to get some people out to your course?  Give the people an event.  Not an event for the people who are already members.  Put out an open invitation to non-members so you can attempt to make them members.  And if not members, then at least a few daily fee players.

Some years ago, I remember some of the reps of a nice local course coming into my office looking to sign my company up to a corporate membership.  They were friendly, nice people and had some nice very colorful brochures with great pictures of their course and clubhouse.  After they left, I mentioned to my boss that I had played the course and it was pretty nice.  But my boss, as well as his boss, didn’t even give it a chance.  But perhaps an invite to a free round would have helped.  Maybe one of those non-member events could have helped as well.  Well, in hindsight, anything would have helped since the course has now been out of business for roughly ten years and is now a nature preserve.

So again, maybe another idea to help some course pump a little life into the stagnant state of golf.  Throw a little party for some non-members.  Maybe you can bring in those new members you’re going to need when the old crew decides to hang up their spikes.  Maybe you can recruit a few new daily fee players who don’t necessarily have the money for a membership or don’t want to be tied to one course, but like your course enough to drop $50 on a round a couple times per season.  Or maybe you can find a company who would like to rent your facilities for some of their corporate events or outings.  Do you have banquet facilities?  People hold wedding receptions at golf courses you know.  The courses maybe just have to not be afraid to give away a round here and there or spend a little marketing money in a different way.  After all, it takes dough to make bread.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Book Review: I Married A Nutritionist; Things I’ve Learned That Every Golfer Should Know

| By | Leave a Comment

IMarriedANutritionistWhen the co-author of this book emailed me to write a review, I jumped at the chance – not just because the book’s topic was interesting and rather refreshing (proper nutrition geared towards the average golfer) but also because I had my own story to tell.

Up until fairly recently, I was like many other American males when it came to health: Overweight (by 30+ pounds); out of shape (which affected me both on and off the course); and too ignorant about proper nutrition to do anything about it.

I didn’t have the benefit of reading “I Married A Nutritionist” – if I had, I may have gotten healthier a long time ago. Instead, I ended up reading several books (not diet books, rather books on the food industry and how human beings should really be eating) over the course of several years, which led to me ultimately changing the way I eat and live.

What took me years to wrap my head around and apply to my daily life has been put inside a nutshell in Steve and Karen Roth’s book, “I Married A Nutritionist; Things I’ve Learned That Every Golfer Should Know.” Mr. Roth, a writer and golfer and Mrs. Roth, a certified nutritionist with a masters degree in holistic nutrition, tag teamed to write this book in a conversational style that the average person can truly comprehend (and trust me, understanding which foods are good for you and which foods are not can be very complicated).

This book literally teaches you how a person should eat – especially how to navigate in today’s world of processed foods; artificial flavors and colors; and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). From why eating grass fed beef is healthier to why buying “real” food should matter to everyone, “I Married A Nutritionist” is like having a chat with your own personal nutritionist (which was obviously the intention of the book).

But Mr. and Mrs. Roth don’t stop at what foods you should eat and why – they also provide recipes and meal prep tips along with advice to rid toxins from your life (both from the food we eat and the non-food products we use everyday).

The book’s subtitle (Things I’ve Learned That Every Golfer Should Know) is a little misleading because it’s really for everybody – not just golfers (it should be noted this is the “golfer’s edition” of the book, which was originally marketed as “Things I’ve Learned That Every Guy Should Know”). But in this edition, the Roths’ do try and highlight how their topic relates to golfers – especially in an early section of the book that covers what you should eat before, during and after your round.

The book is also unique in how it’s written – each chapter is literally a conversation between husband and wife – she the educated specialist and he the comedic golfer who uses clubhouse humor to put things in layman’s terms. Their back and forth banter might get a little corny but there were multiple times I laughed out loud – especially the part about preparing a whole chicken to cook in a crock pot.

But let’s get back to my personal story for a moment: As I mentioned above, I have read several books on the current food industry in this country and what human beings should be eating to live healthy. I don’t subscribe to any particular “diet” but I have learned good practices. Those practices allowed me to lose 40 pounds over the past two years. Later this year, I turn 40 and I can honestly say I’m in the best shape of my life (starting to sound like a late-night infomercial now, huh)?

My point in telling you this is that all the stuff I learned (and then some) is covered in “I Married A Nutritionist.” Being healthy doesn’t have to be hard – all you need is a willingness to change your eating habits and a guide on how to do it – the latter of which is this book.

“I Married A Nutritionist” is the perfect book to get you on a path to changing how you eat for the better. Eventually you might want to do some deeper dives on the subject, but this book will certainly get you started. And if you’re a golfer, you will definitely appreciate a few of the references within its pages.

If you have a willingness to change the way you eat so you can be healthier, then head on over to our Facebook page where you could win a copy of the book. Simply find and “like” the post on our wall for “I Married A Nutritionist” and that’s it – we’ll choose one winner next week!

If you don’t end up winning, you can always purchase a copy of “I Married A Nutritionist” HERE. It’s a great way for you or that golfer in your life to finally eat healthy and stay healthy!

You Golf the Way You Eat

| By | 5 Comments

Is this your mid-round golf snack?
Is this your mid-round golf snack?

About a year ago, I asked what you eat at the turn. In my research for that post, I discovered that eating at the turn is only half the battle. It’s also about what you eat before your round (and the snacks between holes) too. Like most nutritionists say about all sports; Eating well leads to playing well.

But is this really true for golf?

Physically fit golfers are a rather new anomaly on the pro tour. Remember a few decades ago? Think about Jack Nicklaus, who until he trimmed-down for the 1970 season, was the subject of “fat” jokes. Or more recently, John Daly. I think those guys proved you don’t have to be in top shape to play great golf.

OK, I know what you’re thinking: “But those guys are far and few between – most golfers are thin.” Perhaps, but let’s forget about the pros for a minute and concentrate on the average weekend hack. Many of us stop at Dunkin’ Donuts or McDonald’s to grab a coffee and breakfast sandwich before our round.

Well, according to the vast majority of nutritionists out there, chowing on a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich before your round is disastrous. It may give you an initial boost of energy but by the back nine, you’ll be dragging ass. I have to admit, I’m usually pretty tired for the last three holes…perhaps it’s that Egg McMuffin coming back to haunt me. Or, perhaps it’s because for the last 3 hours I’ve played 15 holes of golf!

Anyway, let’s get back to whether eating “right” before and during a round matters or not. Consider the title of this post: “You Golf the Way You Eat.” Well, I have fun eating and I have fun golfing. So I guess that statement is true.

OK, I know what you’re thinking again: “That’s not what that statement means!” No? Hmmm. I’m not sure what else it can mean. For me, I golf to relax…To unwind and have some fun. Why ruin it with a special golf diet?

Now I’m not telling everyone to eat comfort foods while playing golf…But I am saying: Do what makes you happy. Who cares if that hot dog and beer at the turn costs you a couple strokes on the last two holes? Unless I’m playing for money, I’d gladly give up the strokes for the dog and brew.

Now, I realize not everyone is like me. But if you’re an average hacker and are forcing yourself to eat a specific way in hopes of lowering your score…consider this: You’re not going to make the PGA tour. Ever. Not gonna happen. Not a chance. Pigs will fly first. Hell will freeze over and the sky will fall before you make a living playing professional golf.

But, I digress.

See? I bet that beer and hot dog are looking better already.

Despite the fact that Stinky Golfer Greg writes for this popular golf blog, he is in no way, shape or form qualified to be giving nutritional advice. Always check with your physician before altering your diet.

Questions / Advertise

info@golfstinks.com

Disclaimers

See here

Privacy Policy

See here