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What’s Your Most Interesting Golf Story?

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One of your golf bio questions on Golfstinks.com (yes, you have your own golf bio when you become a member) is “what’s your most interesting golf experience.” Well, we’ve been getting some pretty good stories from the members thus far and wanted to open this up to our blog community too.

Let me break the ice by telling my very true tale…

It was the Friday of Memorial Day weekend 2001. A few friends of mine (one of which would later be known as Stinky Golfer Chris) were on a puddle jumper going from Charlotte to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The plan was as follows: Land. Play 18-holes. Eat. Sleep. Play 36-holes. Eat. Sleep. Play 9-holes. Fly back to Connecticut so we could get a good night’s sleep before work on Monday (as you could see, there really wasn’t much time to spare).

So we landed. We played 18-holes at Shipyard Golf Club and since not many people were out on the course that day, we actually finished our round earlier than expected. With daylight to spare, we headed back to the oceanfront condo (Stinky Golfer Chris’ rich uncle let us crash at his summer place) to do a little boogie-boarding before dinner.

So there we were – our foursome splashing and playing in the surf like 6-year-olds – when a wave knocked me off my boogie-board and I fell backwards into the water. I was close to the beach and the water was only about three feet deep. My right hand found the sandy bottom and then it happened – a sharp stabbing pain between my thumb and index finger.

At first, I had no idea what hit me. But I was bleeding from a half-inch gash on top of my hand which seemed to be pretty deep. The pain was pretty bad too. On top of the cut itself hurting, the salt water was making matters worse.

My initial thought was I hit a sharp rock, or perhaps a crab pinched me. But then I felt it – a sting ray brushed by my leg and I was fairly certain that’s what got me. “Oh God, aren’t those things poisonous?” I thought to myself. It’s a good thing the Steve Irwin incident hadn’t happened yet otherwise I would have been freaking out.

By now I was trudging to the beach as fast as I could, worried that my bleeding hand was chumming the water for Great Whites. Despite screaming “AHHHH” when it first happened, none of my foursome seemed particularly concerned about the Jaws scene unfolding in front of them. I distinctly remember one of them still laying out on a beach chair when I pulled myself ashore.

By now it was dinner time, and that (not my throbbing and still bleeding) hand seemed to be the priority. “Sure, I’ll man-up and go to dinner with you guys. Let me just ice-it, wrap-it and we can go” I told them. And that’s what I did. Iced it for about 15 minutes, wrapped it in some gauze (still bleeding, and now slightly discolored in a purplish hue) and off we went to the Outback Steakhouse.

Towards the end of dinner, I announced the pain wasn’t letting up any. I could tell this annoyed them as they had their hearts set on a few more Foster’s before heading home. But when I showed them it was still bleeding – 3 hours later, I think they finally realized they needed to deal with my bitching.

So off to the emergency room we went, where I explained to the nurse what happened. She took one look and exclaimed, “Yep, that was a Stingy. Basically you have two choices. You can stay here and we’ll admit you overnight or you can go home and submerge it in hot water.”

Hot water? I was icing the freaking thing! Turns out hot water (as hot as you can stand it) draws the toxin out (which from the sting ray, by the way, is not fatal – Mr. Irwin died because it stung him in the heart). In addition to the hot water, I needed to visit a medical center the next day to have a doctor see if I needed stitches or antibiotics or both. Crap – there goes one of our tee-times.

The guys were cool though – they came to the doctor’s with me (we missed our morning round) and fortunately, I didn’t need stitches (I did get antibiotics though). Even better, since it was on the top of my hand, it didn’t interfere with my swing! We finished our stay on Hilton Head playing at the beautiful Palmetto Dunes and even more alluring Sea Pines.

A decade later I still have the scar, and the skin around it is still slightly discolored. But, a few years ago, I was at a restaurant that had sting ray on the menu…revenge never tasted so good.

So, what’s your story?

Golf, A Blessing In Disguise.

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Golf is difficult, we know this, but that is also relative. I’m sure we can agree waiting in line at the DMV is difficult too, no? But given the choice, we would rather be golfing. As hard a game or sport it might be, we want to play it no matter how our previous round went. How lucky are we to have that privilege?

Every so often something is introduced to me and it resonates within. Thanks to our buddy Kevin over at L2 Communications for providing the following video. It’s amazing! The very first few words, “Golf is hard” uttered by Sgt. Russell Logan sets the tone.

Mind you, this is coming from someone who lost a leg to an explosion while serving in Afghanistan. So, relatively speaking, how hard is golf? Better yet, how modest is this man, hero and golfer? To be exposed to war and all its horror is difficult. To live through and overcome a traumatic experience in a war zone is even more difficult. To hear the words “golf is hard” come out of his mouth, that’s a blessing…

Hit’em long…Yell FORE!!!

Did Golf Ignite America’s Thirst for Scotch?

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So here’s what we know about golf’s history in the United States: Golf was introduced at the end of the 18th-century and it took nearly 100 years to really catch-on here in America. In the mid-1890’s, golf courses began springing up and the USGA (known at the time as the Amateur Golf Association of the United States) was created.

But, there’s a part of golf’s U.S. history that is rather intriguing; as golf became popular here in the States, so did, coincidentally, the consumption of Scotch Whisky. This parallel was first introduced to me through a book I’m currently reading called “And a Bottle of Rum.“ While the book’s main focus is on rum’s history in the New World, there’s a point where the author writes the following:

“Scotch, brought into fashion by the golf craze that swept the nation in the 1890’s, began its decades-long fling with popularity.”

That statement immediately had me searching the internet for answers. I wanted to learn more about golf’s influence on Scotch drinking in the U.S. Unfortunately, there’s not much to be had about that on the information super highway.

I was able to find the following excerpt from a book published in 1902:

“Some say that it [Scotch Whisky] came into fashion with golf, others that the increase is due to the recommendations of doctors, or that the habit was introduced by travelers from the United Kingdom.”

Interestingly, the book the previous excerpt came from was a 1901 British consular report on trade and commerce for San Francisco, but says nothing more regarding golf’s influence on Scotch here in America.

Oh, there are plenty of things on the net about Scotch and golf (like this piece on pgatour.com and this from the Travelstart Blog). And there’s even mention of golf being a “gentleman’s game” and Scotch being a “gentleman’s drink.” In fact, here’s a quote from a site called The Gentleman Blog where they recommend taking a moment at the end of your swing to enjoy what golf has to offer:

“…a good follow through is needed so that you can have that solitary moment where you take in the beauty of the course and the serenity that comes with golf (this is before you get angry at how terribly you sliced the ball). It’s this moment that makes golf worthwhile. It’s the moment where you are at one with the club, the course and that hip-flask of Scotch in your breast pocket.”

So sure, golf and Scotch seem to go hand-in-hand. But as for answers on how Scotch became all the rage in the United States, I found very little. Perhaps the author of “And a Bottle of Rum” got his information from the 1901 British consular report? It’s all a bit of a mystery. Of course, it probably doesn’t really matter. All that matters is what we do know:

“We borrowed golf from Scotland as we borrowed whiskey. Not because it is Scottish, but because it is good.” – Horace Hutchinson; English golfer, sportsman, and writer.

Enjoy.

You Gotta Work On That Swing!

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What don’t people get about the idea that I play golf for fun? When I tell people that I’ve been playing golf as long as I have and I’ve never taken a lesson, they look at me like I have three heads. Maybe it’s just me, but I will never fully understand this.

Recently, I went over this with someone I know. This person happens to be an avid biker (bicycle, not motor). When he heard what I shoot, he questioned why I’ve never taken a lesson. So I asked him if he’s ever paid someone to teach him how to ride his bike. He understood my point. He, like me, participates in his sport because he enjoys it, nothing more.

I’ve made similar comparisons before. I’ve played softball for years, but I’ve never paid a batting coach! I played for fun, not to get on some professional level. Same with basketball. I played pickup games every weekend for who knows how long. But I never hired a coach to help me with my shot.

The thing is, I played all three sports (golf, softball and basketball) for the same reason…fun! Everyone laughs at the coach-hiring jokes for basketball and softball. But why is it that no one can understand why I don’t really care to take a golf lesson?

What is it about golfers that make them take their sport so serious? What is it that makes them pay for lessons? What is it that makes them pay for expensive equipment? What is it that make them buy expensive apparel? Is that expensive new shirt going to help you hit your drive farther?

Someone hiring a swing coach for rec-league softball sounds just plain silly, right? But golfers do it on a regular basis. Someone has to help me understand the draw. Most of these people who pay a pro for lessons are going to go about as far in golf professionally as I will in softball. So again, why?

Is it because you can play golf for longer in life? Is it because you are holding out hope to maybe possibly make the senior tour? Is it just because you want to be the best of your golfing buddies?

Honestly though, I’m not poking fun. I just don’t understand. I’m not a good golfer by any means. But I play a sport I enjoy. I’m happy doing that, just like any other sports I have played. Why are things perceived to be different in golf when, in reality, they are no different than participation in these other sports?

I’m just looking for some answers because, like I said, I just don’t understand.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Golf And Morality.

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Most of us know that golf is a pretty honorable game. We’ve seen pro’s call penalty’s on themselves when they could have gotten away with it. Not for nothing, it makes me wonder how much they actually did get away with. We’ve also seen that amongst amateurs as well. The image golf portrays is that of honesty and an overall sense of doing the right thing.

What I want to know is: Do we carry these morals and ethics of golf into real life? I’d like to think so. Generally, we are good people. Why wouldn’t we be? So, to really answer that question I’ve devised a little questionnaire to help us hacks pin-point what kind of person we are. Let’s begin.

1) Where were you the day your child was born?

A. With the mother of our child.
B. At the bar.
C. At the golf course.


(If you are the mother and answered B or C…you are a trooper and my hero!)

2) Where were you on your child’s 1st birthday?

A. With the kid.
B. At the bar.
C. At the golf course.

3) Where were you on your wedding day?

A. With my spouse.
B. At the bar.
C. At the golf course.

If you answered A to all of the questions, you are a good person and golf is proud to have you as a member of it’s community.

If you answered B to all of the questions…you need help.

If you answered C to all of the questions, you are an avid golfer and an asshole.

Hit’em long…Yell FORE!!!

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