#growgolf Archives • GolfStinks

3 Big Reasons You Should Bring Your Little Kids Golfing

October 17, 2016 | By Greg D'Andrea | 4 Comments

child golf — Your kids might tee-up their ball on the fringe of the green, but the experience will be worth it! (Photo by Greg D’Andrea)

There is that kids age between understanding a game and being able to actually play said game that parents should not neglect. In golf, this is most likely children ages 4, 5 and 6 (and maybe 7). It’s a time when kids can understand the game, but are not physically ready to hit the links.

So with that in mind, I’m not suggesting you let your 4-year-old play a round of golf with you. Instead, I suggest you bring your kids along while you play a round of golf.

Now keep in mind, the notion of letting your child tag along during your round is somewhat controversial. After all, there are those who feel if you’re not playing, you shouldn’t be out on the course. And for the most part, they have a point. Allowing your kids, friend, spouse or other non-player (pet) tag-along with you on the golf course can be very distracting to other golfers. And in fact, some golf facilities don’t allow non-players anywhere near the first tee at all. (See my “Things to Consider” section below).

Then there’s also some folks who simply don’t want to bring their kids along. For many, golf is the escape from their everyday lives, not a continuation of it. And while I can understand that notion, taking your 4-, 5-, or 6-year-old to the course once in a while might be more important than you realize. Below are three such reasons.

Why you should take your kids to the golf course:

Bonding with your child
This is a perfect opportunity to spend some quality time with your kid. Even just a 9-hole round that lasts 2 hours is a world of time for your kindergartner. He or she will not only appreciate this adventure, but remember the experience to boot.
Teaching them respect
Golf is a game of respect and to a child, there are simple signs they will pick-up on. Being quiet when someone is hitting; learning about who has honors; never stepping in someone’s line. Through your child observing these practices (and by adding a simple explanation to each act of respect), you are encouraging respectful behavior both on and off the course. You might not think they are retaining much in that young brain of theirs, but they are definitely watching and learning.
Creating a future golfer
By exposing a child to golf at such a young age, you are sewing the seeds for a future golfer. They may not all take-up the game immediately, but they will always be drawn to golf because of the experiences they had with their mom or dad out on the course. Sooner or later, you’ll have a new golfer in the family. And not only does that mean plenty of family time out on the links, but a new golfer to eventually pass the game on to the next generation.

Things to consider before bringing your kids out to the course:

For starters, always ask the course beforehand to make sure it’s permitted.
Try to go when the course will be fairly empty (late afternoon on the weekend or mid-day during the week).
Try to play 9 holes instead of 18 to appease their short attention-span.
Take a cart instead of walking. They’ll love riding in it so you won’t have to worry about chasing them around the course!
Never leave them alone in the cart! My son once tapped the gas pedal lightly, which unlocked the break and started him rolling backwards down an incline! Fortunately his uncle was right there and was able to jump in and stop the cart!
Ask the course to let you play solo (having a kid along might be a distraction to other golfers you’re paired up with).
Prepare to answer a ton of questions about “why” you do this or “why” you do that.
They will inevitably want to hit a few shots. Avoid having them hit off the tee or the fairway. Instead, bring along a putter his or her size and let them take a few putts after you finish each hole (always being aware to not hold up any groups behind you).
Finally, try not to express any negative emotion out there. You want your child to think of golf as a game that’s fun, not frustrating.

I’ve taken my son out with me on two occasions thus far – once last year when he was 4 and once this year when he was 5 and both times, he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. This year, he got to hit some balls on the range and he had fun keeping score after each hole.

Bottom line: Though my son is still a few years away from playing a round alongside of me, he will be that much more prepared (and interested) once the time comes.

Golf Rules for the Rest of Us

October 7, 2015 | By Greg D'Andrea | 5 Comments

Would you golf by the USRGA rulebook?

Last month, I wrote about the 3 Reasons Recreational Golfers Need Their Own Rulebook. In summary of that post, a rulebook specifically geared towards the average golfer would help attract new players to the game; alleviate slow play; and wouldn’t be focused on ranking the best golfers in the world (which is one of the USGA’s primary missions).

Since the USGA seems reluctant to create separate rules for recreational players (which might be for the best), I scoured the web to see if such rules existed elsewhere. Much to my delight, I ran across the United States Recreational Golf Association (USRGA).

Now in full transparency, I ended up reaching out to the leaders of the USRGA and they have since added the GolfStinks logo to its “friends of the USRGA” section of their website. But regardless of that, I endorse this organization simply because it provides exactly what recreational golfers need: A simpler set of rules that also work with a handicap system.

So what are these simpler USRGA rules? Well, to start with, there are 13 in total (in addition to a brief section on etiquette):

1. The Game of Golf consists of hitting a ball with a club around a golf course. The ball should be struck with a club, not pushed, scraped, lifted, thrown or spooned. A “round” consists of any number of consecutive holes on a golf course. Each time a player strikes the ball it is called a “stroke.” The sum of all strokes in a round equals the golfer’s score. A hole starts with a stroke from the teeing ground and ends on the green when the ball is holed.

2. The Rules of Play are to be agreed upon in advance by the players before teeing off on the first hole. The highest authority for settling disputes is the foursome or player’s group. They may ultimately decide what is right under all circumstances. Players may agree to add, waive or amend any Rule. If there is a dispute not covered by the Rules, then the golfers in the group will determine how to resolve the dispute; the decision should be made in accordance with what is fair. The players may appoint a ruling committee for the purpose of settling issues during group or tournament play. Advice may be sought or offered during the course of play but responding to a request is at the discretion of the golfers in the group.

3. Medal play consists of a round of consecutive holes when all strokes are counted. In Medal play the player must count every shot in a round and may not “pick up” after a shot. In Stroke play all members of the group are “fellow players.” A “side” is a player or two or more players who are partners. In match play the member/s of the opposing side is/are an “opponent.” Match play consists of a game when the players play each hole individually or with a partner against another individual or an individual and his partner. A Match can be played for any consecutive number of holes until a winner is established. A match can also be played as a Nassau when the match is divided into a first nine, second nine and an overall match. Each hole has a winner/loser or a tie score. Players may pick up after their ball no longer counts on a particular hole. Rules for Match and Medal play are the same regarding penalties. In case of a tie it is suggested that additional holes should be played until a winner is determined. The player’s may play in any order they choose. In competitions, the player/side with the lowest score on the previous hole tees first. There is no penalty for playing out of turn.

4. Any commercially available balls and clubs that are solely powered by the golfer’s swing are deemed acceptable for play. A player is allowed to carry a maximum of 20 clubs. Penalty for exceeding the limit is one stroke. Clubs may not be altered during the course of play but broken or damaged clubs may be replaced at any time during the round. A player claiming a handicap or average score for a given golf format should play with the equipment used to establish the handicap for that golf format.

5. It is allowable for a player to switch balls at any time during a round; this includes switching the brand, model and number of the ball. The ball may be lifted, cleaned and placed without penalty at any time.

6. If the wrong ball is played the shot/s should be replayed from their original position/s. There is no penalty for hitting the wrong ball.

7. If a ball is lost a player has two (2) minutes to find it. The penalty for spending more than two (2) minutes searching for a ball is one stroke. The penalty for spending additional time beyond four minutes is one additional stroke

8. If the ball is in a “non-standard” condition for the location, it is acceptable to improve the position or lie of the ball one club length except on the putting green. Such “non-standard” conditions include divots, bare or uneven turf, temporary water, cart paths, sprinkler heads or hoses and unraked sand in a hazard. The ball may be lifted and placed one club length but not closer to the hole. When improving a player’s lie, the new lie should not be moved from the rough to the fairway, from the fringe to the green or out of a bunker to the rough or fairway.

9. The flagstick does not need to be removed unless it is requested by the player who is chipping or putting. If a ball hits the flagstick and it is not holed there is no penalty. If the ball comes to rest against the flagstick it is considered holed.

10. A ball in motion should not be deliberately deflected or stopped by the other golfers in the group or their equipment. Penalty for violation is one stroke. A ball on the putting green that may assist or interfere with a shot should be marked and lifted.

11. If a ball comes to rest out of bounds, in a water hazard or lateral hazard, the ball should be placed as near as possible to where it went out of bounds or entered the hazard and not closer to the hole. The golfer also has the option to replay the shot or use a designated “drop area”. The penalty is one stroke.

12. Movable objects may be moved if they interfere with a swing or the player’s line of sight. A player is entitled to move the object without penalty. A player is entitled to move the ball one club length to get relief from immovable unnatural objects (telephone poles, fences, drain pipes, maintenance equipment, etc.) with no penalty.

13. A golfer may deem his ball unplayable and may place the ball near where the ball is deemed unplayable. If it is unplayable in a bunker it must be dropped in the bunker. If ball is in hazard it must be dropped in the hazard. Penalty is one shot.

If you took the time to read the above, then you would have recognized these rules are pretty much they way most of us play anyway (but differ quite a bit from the USGA rules). For example – rule #5: We weekend golfers don’t worry about playing the same brand of ball during a round – heck, we often find a ball mid-hole and switch to that one instead! And it shouldn’t be illegal to do so. Rule #6: Accidentally hit the wrong ball? No worries – just apologize and re-hit the correct one. Rule #8: Roll-over sanctioned and lift, clean and place approved! How ridiculous that we must play our muddy ball from a divot! Of course most of us roll-over (and clean) – it only makes sense.

Plus, some of the USRGA rules address slow play: We recreational golfers spend far too much time looking for a lost ball. Rule #7 specifies 2 minutes only (as opposed to 5 minutes under the USGA rulebook). And #9: Why do we have to go through the “tending the flag” ritual on every green? Heck, why do we even need to waste time walking over to remove said flag? Well under the USRGA, now we don’t have to. And of course, rule #11 does away with that obnoxious “walk back to the tee to re-hit a ball that is lost/OB” rule.

For the majority of golfers out there, the aforementioned rules should be leaps and bounds better than the current USGA rulebook. They are not only more easily digestible, but are bound to keep recreational players happier out on the course…without sacrificing the integrity of the game (which is important and why other alternate rulebooks have failed).

But what about those golfers who keep a handicap for tournament play? Well, the USRGA has them covered. Along with your free membership to the USRGA, you also gain access to the USRGA handicap system, where you can enter your scores much like you would elsewhere.

Interestingly (but not surprisingly), this handicap system, when coupled with rule #4 above, allows golfers to play (and keep a handicap with) non-USGA-conforming golf equipment, like the Polara golf ball/clubs, which we’ve posted (both the pros and cons) about before. I say “not surprisingly” because it should be noted that one of the co-founders of the USRGA is also the chief executive at Polara. But regardless of that convenient overlap, this is another way the USRGA provides recreational golfers with flexibility: If you want your handicap to reflect your skill level with a self-correcting ball, that’s no problem – just make sure you play in the tournament with said self-correcting ball (or your handicap will prove you a liar).

Overall, I would fully embrace the USRGA – it lets recreational golfers be, well…recreational golfers. And it puts into writing many of the things we do anyway out on the course (and this fact shouldn’t be dismissed so easily – people don’t want to be rule breakers – in general, they want to follow all the rules of whatever it is they are engaging in). Thus, having a separate set of rules for recreational players is exactly what golf needs to help welcome new players and retain veteran players alike.

That all being said, it would be truly nice to see the golf industry (from teachers to courses to even the USGA and other leading golf organizations) recognize a separate set of rules for the recreational player. And so far, the USRGA seems to be the most logical choice.

3 Reasons Recreational Golfers Need A Rulebook

September 1, 2015 | By Greg D'Andrea | 10 Comments

Can all those USGA rules be hurting golf? (photo by Sonny Vega)

Believe it or not, the USGA doesn’t govern all of golf. And it certainly doesn’t preside over recreational golfers like you and I. The USGA, along with its rulebook, does have a place in golf. But the idea it’s the supreme ruler of all things golf is a rather widespread misconception (this goes for the R&A as well). That being said, I outline below why most recreational golfers should cast-aside the USGA rules in favor of something written more for, well…recreational golfers.

1) The USGA rules weren’t really written for recreational golfers
Let me begin by stating in no way, shape or form am I advocating we throw-out the USGA rulebook. Those rules are absolutely necessary to achieve the USGA’s founding mission: To determine the best golfers in the world. This history is clearly recounted on their website:

“1894 – In September, William G. Lawrence wins a ‘national amateur championship’ at Newport (R.I.) Golf Club. In October, Laurence B. Stoddard wins a ‘national amateur championship’ at St. Andrew’s Golf Club. C.B. Macdonald, runner-up in both events, calls for the formation of a governing body to run a universally recognized national championship.” – USGA.org

Today, the USGA is basically still doing the same thing for the top amateurs. In addition, the PGA has adopted the USGA rulebook too. This all makes sense for determining the best golfers in the world.

But what about the rest of us? All golfers – from the youngest to the oldest; the worst to the greatest; are ~~forced~~ encouraged to play by the USGA rules. This notion is foreign to many of the other major sports that also have youth and recreational participation. Think about your son or daughter’s little league; or your work softball team – do those strictly adhere to the rules of Major League Baseball? Of course not – the rules have been modified and/or made simpler to encourage new players and promote fun.

So that begs the question: Why isn’t there a separate set of rules for recreational golfers? For all that the USGA rules have done for the elite players in the game, the reality is the complexity of those same rules have hindered golf’s growth over the years – in particular with regards to recreational golfers (the vast majority of the game’s participants).

It should also be pointed out that while the USGA has been around for over 120 years, the game of golf was around for about 5 centuries before that. Makes you wonder how all those recreational golfers ever got by without the USGA rulebook.

2) Alleviate slow play
It’s no secret slow play is rampant in golf – from the pro tours all the way to your local muni. It’s perhaps the biggest complaint amongst average golfers and the current rulebook is (at least) partially to blame for this. A set of simpler rules for recreational players would go a long way in unclogging the links.

Why does there have to be out-of-bounds? If your ball goes into the woods, drop one near where it went in, take a stroke and move on. Why do we have to go through the entire “tend the flag” ritual? Leave the flag where it is and if the ball hits it, it counts as in. Why do we have to wait for the person furthest from the hole to play first? Instead, we should all be playing ready-golf.

I understand some folks are sticklers for this stuff, but these are the golfers a separate rulebook would help the most! A simpler rulebook would remove the hesitation some golfers have in bending the USGA rules in the first place, thus resulting in a speedier round for everyone.

3) Attract new players; and help keep the ones already playing
Try telling a newbie golfer about grounding his club in a hazard. Or that she has to walk back to the tee and re-hit if she loses her drive. How about that he or she can’t touch their ball until they are on the green. And if their ball lands in a divot in the fairway…oh well, sucks to be them. And the truth is, non of the aforementioned rules sound any better to veteran golfers either.

Watching golf on TV already has issues attracting potential players, but then the few that actually do want to try the game are met with this beast of a rulebook? It’s just not right. We should be doing everything possible to woo new folks to the game. And, part of that should be a simple set of rules that encourages fun out on the course.

Adding a rulebook specifically for recreational golfers won’t solve all of golf’s problems, but it will certainly help – especially in the longterm. And it won’t take much to implement either – there are already organizations out there like the U.S. Recreational Golf Association (more on them in a future post) who are trying to accommodate recreational golfers (including those golfers who keep a handicap) – whereas accommodating recreational golfers clearly isn’t the USGA’s priority.

Would you Play a 12-Hole Golf Course?

August 10, 2015 | By Greg D'Andrea | 16 Comments

Can 12-hole courses save golf? (photo by Greg D'Andrea) — Can 12-hole courses save golf? (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

A 12-hole golf course? Yep, they do indeed exist. And more might be on the way. Jack Nicklaus originally proposed 12-hole courses back in 2007, but he was largely ignored.

He brought it up again in 2011 as a way to save golf, which he pointed-out was struggling to engage the younger generation. This time, he wasn’t ignored, but rather criticized. You see, Mr. Nicklaus had recently built a 12-hole golf course and many accused him of just trying to boost his business.

But over the past few years, the golf industry has indeed grappled with ways to attract Millennials. And it’s no secret the game loses participation (from both potential and current golfers alike) because it takes far too long to complete a round – in some cases pushing towards 6-hours for 18-holes (especially on public tracks).

To combat this, the USGA launched a dedicated initiative to encourage more 9-hole rounds (our friend Stacy over at Golf for Beginners touched on this last week). But let’s face it, as long as it takes to play 18-holes, playing only 9 just doesn’t seem like enough. I guess those of us on a time-crunch could frequent more par 3 or executive courses, but shortening the length of the holes and subsequently not being able to hit your driver? To me, that really changes the game.

Ideally, what golf needs is a course with less-than-18, but more than 9 full-sized holes – including par 5’s. Thus the 12-hole (or even 14-hole) golf course might be just right. First off, greens fees would come down since there’s less course to maintain. And with less holes, walking courses would become more prevalent too. How many times have you become fatigued over the last few holes while walking 18? Well, that won’t be an issue if you’re only playing 12.

And it stands to reason if you cut the number of holes by a third, it should take only two-thirds of the time to complete a round. So if it typically takes you 5 hours to play 18-holes, it should take just under 3.5 hours to play 12. This is a much more manageable timeframe and it fits much better into a busy weekend schedule. And if you only have 90 minutes or so, just play the front (or back) 6!

But what about the handicap system on a course with less than 18-holes? Well, that can be adjusted fairly easily according to the USGA, which has stated they “would consider rating 12-hole courses in the near future.”

So what’s the issue?

It appears the biggest hurdle is the mindset of current golfers and golf course managers. “But par is only 48!” We golfers have a hard-time considering anything but the traditional 18-holes. In my opinion, it’s this kind of stubbornness that is holding the game back. We need to be reminded that 18-holes is a relatively recent (last century or so) standard number of holes a course has. In the past, courses have featured 5, 7, 12 and even 22 holes!

And likewise, you can put golf course managers in the same boat. When a course is about to fold, most managers don’t even consider selling-off acreage and creating a 12-hole (or even 9-hole) layout. They simply take the loss and close their doors.

Yet on the whole, it appears 12-hole courses would be good for golf – not only helping the industry economically, but also helping with participation from new and current golfers alike. Now if we can only get folks to start thinking outside the box, we might just be able to make golf a better game for everyone.

Feel free to throw in your two cents in the comments – I would love to hear your opinion, either for or against a 12-hole golf course.

The Push For 9 Hole Rounds

August 25, 2014 | By Pete Girotto | Leave a Comment

Many golf purists see 9 holes as an incomplete round. I kind of get their point. After all, does playing 2 quarters constitute as a basketball or football game? If we played 4.5 innings, is that a baseball game? No, but there are factors involved.

If we break it down and look at this from a participatory view, we must include the elements that are important to us; the participants. When we think about heading out to the golf course for a round, the two main concerns for most are time and money. It’s no secret golf costs a few bucks to play and takes the most time out of any other recreational sport activity.

A recent report by NGF (National Golf Foundation) shows a decline over the past two years in returning or former golfers with a surprising gain in the beginners category. NGF has also done some research into the whole 9-hole thing. Their findings were that the shorter rounds appeal to many beginners and those that don’t have the time or money to play 18. This seems pretty obvious but should not be overlooked.

As with anything, we must adapt in order to survive. That being said, golf’s governing bodies see this trend and have already instituted plans to address this. The biggest being USGA’s Play 9 Campaign. Granted their Play 9 day has already passed (July 23), but the residual effects should hopefully ripple through the golf community and get dormant golfers out there, even if it’s a trip to the driving range.

As always, our sentiment is to just get to out there and play, whatever it may be. 18 holes, 9 holes, driving range or putting in your living room – enjoy the game!

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!