#growgolf Archives • Page 3 of 4 • GolfStinks

It’s Hard Being a Stinky Golfer

June 18, 2014 | By Greg D'Andrea | 1 Comment

From the very start of this blog back in 2009, we here at GolfStinks were on a mission: To teach golf hacks that you don’t have to be good at golf to love it. This has been our mantra for the past five years and hopefully many more years to come.

But convincing golfers that it’s OK to stink isn’t easy. After all, we’ve been taught from a very young age to be good at whatever we do – and if we’re not good, we should keep at it until we are. So the notion of accepting that you are less-than-stellar at something is a difficult pill to swallow.

Some people just flat-out won’t accept it. One of my golfing buddies is like this – for more than 20 years he has been trying to be a “good” golfer and he is truly frustrated that he hasn’t been able to achieve this goal. Every time we play, he really takes his poor shots personally – yelling at himself, throwing his clubs, etc. But he keeps coming back for more – perhaps he would start to enjoy himself if he just played for fun. Or perhaps he’s just a glutton for punishment. In any event, it’s not like he’s trying to help himself – he rarely takes lessons or spends time on the range.

The mainstream golf media needs to accept much of the blame for this train of thought. They inundate us with a never-ending stream of tips and tricks: From magazine articles with pictures and drawings to swing demonstrations on TV, they’ve got us convinced that a quick fix in our backswing or using some zany gadget will help us to be the next member of the pro tour…what nonsense. Even shaving just a few strokes off your game takes plenty of time, practice and money.

Meanwhile, frustrated golfers (especially beginners) are quitting before unlocking the true joys of golf. We shouldn’t quit this game because we stink. We shouldn’t focus on the bad (the duck-hook into the pond or one we sliced OB). Instead, we should embrace that rare birdie (or even par); that 20-foot putt that drops in; that chip next to the pin; that one drive that finds the middle of the fairway. There are many joys in golf: camaraderie, getting out in nature, and of course, playing a challenging game where being just one stroke better than your previous round will put a smile on your face.

I truly believe it’s about acceptance. First, accept that you will never make the pro tour. Next, accept that unless you have the raw talent and the time to practice constantly and money to pay for proper training, you’ll probably never get too much better than you are currently. If you can accept these things, then you will finally be able to enjoy (and I mean really enjoy) golf.

So while everyone else (the golf media, equipment companies; your playing partners) is telling you to focus on being a “good” golfer, we here at GolfStinks will continue to focus on having fun. I mean, why else are you out on the course? After all; Golf is a game, you should have fun playing it.

Why Not Little League Golf?

May 5, 2014 | By Chris Chirico | 2 Comments

There's no doubt little league encourages a love of baseball - could it work for golf? — There’s no doubt little league encourages a love of baseball – could it work for golf?

My kids sports schedules are out of control. I have no idea how we ever get anything done outside of run all over God’s creation to get them where they need to be when they need to be there. My oldest plays baseball – practice is everyday after school with at least two games during the week and every other Saturday. The middle child plays lacrosse – practices are three nights a week with a game or two on the weekends. The youngest does gymnastics, which is by far the easiest schedule-wise – her practices are twice a week with a meet once a month. These schedules require either my wife or I to leave work early on a pretty regular basis. It’s like they don’t remember that most parents work. But I don’t mind. It’s what the kids want, so we make it happen. As a matter of fact, if one more sport was included, I could live with it. But that sport would have to be golf.

I’ve wondered for years why little league golf hasn’t really caught on. I certainly understand there are several roadblocks which stand in the way – cost, a course in town, getting times on the course, etc… Lets just say the conditions are not favorable. But with the state in which the game stands – fewer younger people taking it up – courses may want to start considering rethinking their current practices for the benefit of the future of the game.

We all know the game ain’t cheap. So there’s one roadblock right off the bat. It’s not just the equipment – equipment isn’t cheap in many other sports either. Trust me…see the first paragraph. But further standing in the way are greens fees and range time. Neither are inexpensive. This is somewhere where courses could step up and help out a golf little league organization. I’ve yet to play a twilight round at any of my local courses and see the range crowded. Letting a little league golf team use the range and putting green free, or at a handsomely discounted rate, would certainly help.

The rounds themselves are a different story. Obviously this can’t be done at no charge. However, discounting the fees for the local little league teams could only benefit the courses in the future. Problem is, obviously not every town has a golf course. But if there is one in somewhat local driving distance, then towns can combine with surrounding towns to create their little leagues. This would also make the tournaments conveniently at one course as well.

Of course, always in the way is the cost to simply get involved in the game. Polo shirts, golf shoes, clubs, balls, etc.., it’s never ending. Some costs are unavoidable. But again, the courses can certainly help out with many of these – discounts in the golf shop, especially on used equipment, would certainly help.

In the log run, donating some range time and equipment, discounts, and a little cooperation from courses themselves would certainly help to get younger kids introduced to, and involved in, the game. And, in all likelihood, it would also create future customers, maybe even members. A little help for a future golfer in the beginning could pay off down the road, both for the course and the game itself. It’s something to consider.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

New Year’s Golf Resolutions I Will Likely Ignore

December 30, 2013 | By Chris Chirico | 2 Comments

What New Year's golf resolutions will you make? — What New Year’s golf resolutions will you make?

It seems it never fails. Every year I make a few golf-related New Year’s resolutions. But when the time comes around to collect on them…I’ve done nothing about it. I let myself down every year.

But, at the risk of doing the same thing once again, I’m still going to make some resolutions anyway. Yes, I know…they’re pointless. But I feel like I’d be doing myself a disservice if I didn’t make them. So with that in mind, here goes…

The one I make most often is simply to play more. Somehow, this is just always out of my control. I try to make the time to play more often, but something is always getting in the way. Be it work, family commitments, kids sports…whatever. It’s like there’s always something going on.

But, I’ll still try to make the effort. After all, if I can’t find a few hours out of every week or two, then obviously I need some help with my time-management skills.

Secondly, I resolve to purchase a new driver. I once spent a good amount of money on a nice Callaway driver. For a couple of seasons I was in love with it and hit it a ton. But then, one year out of the blue, I lost the feel for it. I could rarely hit it straight and every time I touched it, everything just felt wrong. So after dealing with that for a season or two….it went to eBay. I haven’t used a driver since. Depending upon the hole, I’ll tee of with a 3 or 5-wood. I realize this is a problem, so I’m going to do something about it…maybe.

Thirdly, and this is a new one.., I’m going to try to introduce someone to the game. I’ve been working on a couple of people – one to give it a try, the other a former golfer to take it up again. But I’m not trying to bring people to the game by teaching them the rules or telling them they need to practice, practice, practice. I’m trying to explain that it’s a fun game and they should look at it from that standpoint. Not like it’s something they have to constantly work at. To me, that’s the wrong approach.

So only three. All seem relatively attainable, right? Of course there’s no guarantee I will follow through on them. But this time of year is about making the resolutions. The rest of the year is for follow-through. So check with me again next December to see how things went.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

POLL: Would you Rather Play 9 Holes or 18 Holes?

September 25, 2013 | By Greg D'Andrea | 1 Comment

9 Holes might save time, but is playing 18 the way to go? (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

Would you rather play 9 holes or 18 holes? It seems like a rather silly question – after all, wouldn’t you want to play more golf instead of less? Wouldn’t you rather play for a longer period of time instead of a shorter one?

When I first pondered the question of today’s poll, I thought my answer was obvious: I’d rather play 18. Playing 9 holes leaves me feeling like I didn’t finish the round. And while I’ve played 9 holes each of the times I’ve played this year, it was entirely due to the time constraints of having a newborn (and a toddler) at home. But you know what? When I finished my rounds, I was less tired; less sore; and still had most of the day ahead of me (and saved some money to boot).

So that being said, are there people out there who prefer only playing 9? If you consider golf’s history, many early courses in Scotland had only 5 holes (and later just 7 holes). So it seems golf was originally intended to be played in less time. And by today’s standards, the time it takes to play an average 9-hole round (2 – 2.5 hours) is much more on par with the length of other modern sporting events.

In addition, recent research shows golfers playing only 9 holes is on the rise – be it to save time, money or both. If the industry can successfully market a 9-hole round to the general golf population (e.g. convince people it’s still cool to only play 9), we might see the game grow exponentially (both from a participant standpoint and a financial one).

But in the meantime, I’d like to know what you prefer playing – 9 or 18?

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Black Girls Can Golf

July 10, 2013 | By Greg D'Andrea | 1 Comment

We all know the USGA wants to grow the game of golf – especially when that growth includes women and minorities. But as I’ve mentioned before, that’s going to be a hard sell as long as venues like Augusta National (which are steeped in a history of racism, sexism and exclusivity) continue to be poster children for the game.

In essence, the stereotype of golf is it’s a white man’s game (Gentleman Only Ladies Forbidden). And that stereotype is pretty much a reality out on the links. We recently posted about the number of women that play golf – the statistic said 25% but that seemed awfully high to us (we figured more like 10% based on the frequency of seeing a female out on the course).

Why aren’t more women playing? Could part of it be this “gentleman only” aspect to the game? Now consider the number of African-American females who play golf. We’re talking about a very low statistic indeed. So low, in fact, that Tiffany Mack Fitzgerald decided to do something about it.

Ms. Fitzgerald was in the corporate world for a decade and noticed “how many [business] opportunities were available to people who played golf.” She also noticed how very few golfers were black females. It was with this in mind that she founded BlackGirlsGolf.net, with the goal being to grow the game of golf to include more women and minorities.

But she also recognized that golf is its own worst enemy when it comes to keeping these women golfing for a lifetime. After all, the game is rather exclusive and unquestionably male dominated – which is a big turn-off for many women. And the fact that most golfers (in the U.S. anyway) are white males may not be the biggest draw for those who are neither white nor male.

Golf has been late to evolve. The exclusivity that once attracted people to the sport, is now one of the things that keeps new golfers from participating. It wasn’t until 1990 that Augusta National invited African-American’s into their club and it would take another 22 years before America’s most prestigious course would allow women. It’s time to shake things up. – Black Girls Golf website

Instead, what Ms. Fitzgerald wanted to create was a “low pressure” and “inviting environment” to introduce the game of golf to women – and more specifically, to black women. To this end, Ms. Fitzgerald began with her website and blog – where she was able to communicate her ethos. More recently, she’s partnered with a golf pro to provide group golf clinics in the Atlanta, Georgia area. These clinics have been so successful at retaining new golfers, she is now looking to expand outside Atlanta to grow the game to women and minorities across the United States.

“Some of these women were so new to the game, they didn’t even know which end of the club to hold,” said Ms. Fitzgerald in a recent phone interview. “But they were able to learn about this game in an inviting environment that made them want to keep playing.”

Unlike recent efforts from the powers that be in the golf industry, here is a grassroots organization that is not only introducing new people to the game, but also making them golfers for life. This is ultimately what the USGA needs to grow the game…but you couldn’t tell based on the so-called initiatives they have currently in place.

Rather, the golf industry needs organizations like this to grow along with it. From the Black Girls Golf website:

It has been our experience that when women have a positive introduction to golf they are more likely to become ‘golfers’. Women who are brand new to the sport tend to make golf clothing and equipment purchases within three to six months of their introduction to the game.

As Ms. Fitzgerald seeks partners to help grow her organization, she is extremely wise to point out the benefits to the industry as a whole should she become successful in her efforts. After all, we all know golf’s core demographics are white men ages 25-64. To which she quips:

When African-American women show up on a golf course we get a lot of attention. Guess who is looking at us….White men, between the ages of 25 and 64.

For more information or to connect with the Black Girls Golf organization, please see:
Website – http://www.blackgirlsgolf.net
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/BlackGirlsGolf.Net
Twitter – https://twitter.com/BlackGirlsGolf