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Did Dad Golf On Father’s Day?

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thIt’s probably not much of a stretch to figure that most of us golfing dads can’t think of many better Father’s Day gifts (within reason) than a trip out to the links.  Me included.  Whether it be playing a round with the kids, or them just giving you a vacation day from your usual fatherly duties and sending you on your way to the course.  Each year, that’s exactly what’s happened in my house.  I’d pack up the clubs with my boys, or they’d tell me to get the heck out of the house, play some golf, and either a nice home-cooked meal or reservations at one of my favorite restaurants would be awaiting me upon my return.

But this year we did things a little differently.  This year there was a new approach to the Father’s Day golf round.  This year, we didn’t play golf.  We took this Father’s Day off.  Instead, we played putt-putt golf the day before.  I slept in on Father’s Day morning.  I went out and did a few things I wanted to do, then came home and took a little nap on the couch while I watched a baseball game.  The kids woke me up when that nice home-cooked meal was ready.  I followed that by hitting the couch again waiting for game five of the NBA Finals to get underway.  Yup…I did almost nothing on Father’s Day….and it was wonderful.

Now, I’m not trying to start a new tradition here.  Just taking a well-deserved day off from everything.  Next Father’s Day…I’ll probably be back out there.  Actually, who am I kidding…I might take a day off this week and get out there to make up for not playing today!

Anyway, we here at Golfstinks really just want to take a minute to say Happy Father’s Day to all the deserving dads out there who could use a day off from their everyday lives.  If you didn’t play golf, hopefully you relaxed.  If you did play golf, hopefully you played well.  Although…what does that matter?  You were playing golf.  What better day to enjoy a day meant for you?

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Par 3’s, 4’s or 5’s?

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Do you prefer one type of par over another? (photo by Greg D'Andrea)
Do you prefer one type of par over another? (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

As we all know, there are three types of pars for golf holes – Par 3’s, 4’s and 5’s. And as much as we think some par 5’s should be par 6’s, we all realize there’s no such thing!

Each of these par types force you to have drastically different strategies. On par 3’s, for example, you begin the hole as if it’s your approach shot on a par 4 – you’re targeting the green with an iron in your hand. Meanwhile on a typical par 5, it’s grip-it and rip-it a couple times before you even get to target the green!

And while we may not have thought about it much before, we do have favorites. For example, I like par 3’s (preferably 180 yards or less) – mostly because they play into my strength, which is mid-to-low iron play. And my results showed it – back when I would keep stats,  I always had a slightly better average on par 3’s than on par 4’s and 5’s.

Meanwhile, many people like par 5’s so they can “let the big dog eat” off the tee. I have to admit, there’s something very invigorating about crushing a long drive perfectly down the fairway of a 550-yard hole. And now that I’m thinking about it, I’m not sure I would like par 3 holes as much if there weren’t par 5’s mixed in to spice things up a bit. Par 4’s, on the other hand, can just go away as far as I’m concerned (just kidding about removing all the par 4’s, but that would make for an interesting course)!

But what about you? Maybe you enjoy a good par 4? Or maybe you’re like me and fancy par 3’s instead? Take the poll below and let me know your thoughts in the comments. I’d like to say I enjoy them all equally, but I just don’t.

What's your favorite? Par 3's, 4's or 5's

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Rebel Hack: Playing Above The [Golf] Law

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Should you fear bending a few golf rules?
Should you fear bending a few golf rules?

Yes, I am well aware the USGA has set forth a bunch of rules and what-not for us hacks to abide by. Let’s be real, we the 99.9% of the 30 million golfers in the U.S. do not golf for a paycheck. In fact we actually pay to play. So, if I’m paying I’m making the rules, no? We’re not talking about a complete overhaul of the law here, just a few tweaks that are more hack friendly – possibly something like what the Recreational Golf Association of America has done.

This past weekend my buddy and I hit the local track for a quick nine. During our play we were confronted with a couple issues that required some rule bending. I’m writing about it so I can justify our actions and not feel like a cheating scumbag. The first problem we came across was when my ball ended up in the sand trap. Upon reaching the trap, I noticed a bunch of little yellow jacket nests in the sand. F*** that S***! I left my ball there and dropped another one a good 5 yards from the trap and continued to play without taking any penalty.

Granted, that is not a big deal, but we were still curious to know what the ruling would have been. I did a quick search but couldn’t find anything (not surprising, since you need a guide book to understand the rule book). Moving on, the next issue is actually something we have talked about before and we even coined a term for it – PAF! The Pro Advantage Factor (PAF) came into play when my buddy hit his tee shot and couldn’t find it. We saw it land just off the fairway into the rough but we couldn’t find it. Is that fair to take a penalty for that? Hell no! On the tour, someone in the gallery and/or a marshal would have found that ball immediately!

I’m sure stuff like this happens every day on every course. How closely do you actually follow the rules? I’d love to hear what you think!

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!

Golf Vacations 101: Three Lessons for a Great Trip

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Hello my fellow stinky golfers…class is in session! Today we’re going to learn the basics of taking a vacation for golf. If you’ve never traveled for golf before, then this will serve as a guide to help you plan an awesome, stress-free trip! Let’s begin…

Lesson 1: Your budget
Contrary to popular opinion, it is possible to take an inexpensive golf vacation. Start by choosing a two-night stay instead of flying somewhere for a week or ten days. You can easily play 54 holes of golf or more staying just 2 nights: Drive to your destination early in the am (let’s assume the trip is 5 hours or less). Play 18 holes that afternoon; 18 holes the next day; and 18 more early on the day you head home.

To get the most bang for your buck, go to a ski resort (I’m not joking – see my post HERE). These days, many ski resorts feature golf courses (and often very nice courses) to help supplement them in the summertime. You will save on lodgings (the GolfStinks crew rented a 3-bedroom condo for $250 a night at a ski resort two summers ago) and enjoy off-season rates on food and other amenities.

Lesson 2: Packing and getting there
It’s always a good idea to pack light – especially if your clubs are tagging along. Renting golf clubs should only be an option in two instances: If you are spontaneously asked to play a round and your clubs aren’t with you; or if you have flown to a vacation spot knowing you will only be playing one time during your stay. For all other situations, bringing your own clubs is worth it.

If you’re driving to your destination, consider renting a minivan and going with your entire foursome (you’ll thank me later) – the GolfStinks crew has done this before and it made life way easier. If you’re flying, consider renting a minivan once you arrive (unless you’re staying at a golf resort and not really planning on exploring on your own). And consider vacationing during the week instead of on weekends. You’ll find less crowds (both on the road and at the course) and save on greens fees too.

Lesson 3: Enjoy yourself
This is the most important lesson. If you’re like me, there are a lot of things that can distract you from having a good time while on vacation – traffic; lines at the airport; and perhaps most importantly, having a bad round! The trick is to not let any of this stuff bother you. Planning ahead and being timely can help most of this. And as for the poor play – remember, you play golf because you love it, not because you’re great at it. If you find yourself getting frustrated out on the links, just remember you are on vacation and the goal is to enjoy the time you’re spending with, well – whoever it is you’re with – the golfing part is just an added bonus.

Not being a great golfer doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go on a golf vacation. But as with any trip, proper planning and the right frame of mind will go a long way in determining how much fun you have. There are plenty of great golf getaways out there – from taking a pilgrimage to the cradle of golf (Scotland) to staying closer to home. Regardless of where you want to go, if you plan it right, there’s no reason not to take a golf vacation this year!

To help visualize proper vacation planning, I’ve embedded my short video below about efficiently packing your clubs and other tips for golf travel:

Make Your Memorial Day Round of Golf Matter

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imageSometimes we use golf to celebrate something.  A common tradition among us stinky golfers has been for birthdays, well…for those of us whose birthdays fall in golf season anyway.  Your birthday equals a free round of golf courtesy of the other stinky golfers.  But golf can be used for other celebrations as well.  Bachelor parties are pretty common for celebrations involving a round or two of golf as well.  Sometimes it’s for recognition – a previous job gave me the opportunity to play a course which I otherwise would have had no chance to get on, just for a “job well done.”  With that in mind, maybe using golf to recognize a veteran or current service member on a “Job well done”

With Memorial Day upon us, many people need reminding that this is not in fact National Cookout Day.  This is not a holiday invented by Kingsford or Char-Broil.  What it is, is a day to remember the men and women who paid the ultimate price while serving in the military.  As long as all of us understand that, then the cookouts, the parties and gatherings are all good.

But on this Memorial Day, why not take one of those chances to recognize a veteran or active member of the service?  You would bring your buddy out for a round of golf on his birthday, so why not celebrate Memorial Day with someone to whom this holiday matters or affects.  Sure, Memorial Day celebrates those who have fallen while Veteran’s Day recognizes all of the active or inactive military.  But showing your appreciation to a friend or family member who is serving could be a nice gesture which I’m sure would be appreciated.

A round of golf , as mentioned earlier, can be used as a form of recognition.  It’s done at the office.  It’s done on birthdays.  Why not pass that along to our veterans and service men and women?  After all, these people are sacrificing so much for you and me.  Even something as simple as a round of golf is a nice show of appreciation to people who certainly deserve it.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

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