poll Archives • GolfStinks

Is Golf Equipment on your Holiday Wish List?

December 11, 2018 | By Greg D'Andrea | 1 Comment

Some golfers love receiving golf equipment as gifts, while others prefer to purchase their own clubs; balls; etc. Take our poll and let us know what your preference is!

Are golf items under your tree this year?

Every year around the beginning of December, my wife asks me what I want for Christmas. This season, I asked for a forged set of…wait for it…J.A. Henckles. In case you’re not familiar with this German company, they make forged culinary knives, not forged golf clubs.

The funny thing is, I’m not much of a chef. I do make a mean salsa, but it’s not like I blog about my cooking skills. Golf, on the other hand, I do blog about. But the thought of asking my wife for golf clubs, or even a new golf bag, has never even crossed my mind.

To go a step further, I don’t even remember a year in which something golf-related was on my wish list! I’ve never really thought about it until now, but I guess most of this boils down to two reasons: First, I’m very particular about what I buy myself for golf. I have to get certain clubs, certain balls, etc. But secondly, I guess I’ve always thought of golf as my personal hobby.

My wife doesn’t play golf. So when I make a golf-related purchase, it’s something I’ve researched, tried-out and saved up for. Golf equipment has never been something I’ve left up to others to get for me.

Thus, my Christmas list has always consisted of things like a new watch; new shoes; or like this year, forged knives – not golf stuff. Oh don’t get me wrong, I’ve received golf gifts that I haven’t asked for – some of which have been helpful and others that you simply won’t believe!

Anyway, what about you? Are you receiving fabulous golf gifts from your significant other this holiday season? Or like me, would you rather buy your own golf stuff? Take the poll below and let me know. Who knows, maybe I’m missing out!

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POLL: Does the Type of Putter Matter?

March 31, 2017 | By Greg D'Andrea | 7 Comments

Are all putters basically the same or does the tech behind the design matter? (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

I’ve always held firm that you could hand me a sawed-off broom stick with a block of wood nailed to the bottom and it would work as effectively as the most expensive putter on the market. But am I right?

I’ve had one golf buddy tell me you should never spend less than $100 on a putter! He would go on and on about how the putter is the most important club in your bag. And who knows, maybe he’s right?

I actually completed a round putting with a 3-wood one time because I broke my putter across my knee after 5-putting a green. And though I couldn’t really tell the difference, I can’t imagine that would be as accurate as using an actual putter.

These days I’m using a “Condor” Balata putter from Connecticut-based golf company NGC. Now over the years, NGC has had a tendency to bend the USGA equipment rules. But since I live in CT, I see my purchase as supporting a local golf business. And even though NGC claims the Condor “can double your putting accuracy,” I still don’t see much of a difference with my results.

Of course, I simply may not be a good enough player to notice. I mean, golf pros will tell you the right putter will be the difference between making a 10-footer or missing by a quarter-inch. I suppose that could be true and my green-reading skills are just atrocious.

But I also think that putting has a lot to do with the look and feel of the putter you use. In other words, if you think you’ll putt better with it, you probably will. You can apply this argument to the rest of your clubs too, but the style of putter seems to be of particular interest to golfers. That being said, perhaps you just need to find a putter you like and not worry about the cost?

So are all putters are basically the same and it’s just a matter of personal taste? Perhaps we golfers just like to spend money thinking we are getting a fancier, more technologically advanced piece of equipment? Or does golf tech really make the difference between sinking a putt and missing by a quarter-inch?

Take the poll below and tell us if the type of putter matters and feel free to elaborate in the comments section.

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POLL: How do you Cheat at Golf?

August 25, 2016 | By Greg D'Andrea | 1 Comment

If you pick-up that 1-footer without asking, did you cheat? (photo by Greg D'Andrea) — If you pick-up that 1-footer without asking, did you cheat? (photo by Greg D’Andrea)

What’s that? Cheat you say? Well I never!

Oh really? Have you ever taken a Mulligan? Ever decide to drop a ball near where you lost one, rather than hit a provisional from the tee? Or, maybe you’ve granted yourself a gimme putt (even if it was “just on the lip”) without your fellow players’ consent?

Some of you may not have considered the aforementioned a golf cheat, but trust me – they are not in accordance with the USGA rules. Yet, they happen all the time out on the course, don’t they? “Oh don’t worry about it Bob, it’s the first drive of the day. Go ahead and take a Mulligan.” Or: “Hmmm, I think my ball might be lost. Well, I’ll just drop one over here.”

Many of us don’t even give these phrases a second thought. Yet according to the USGA, they constitute cheating. But here’s the thing: For those of us who play this game for recreation only, there’s a really big difference between rule-breaking and flat-out cheating (bare with me for a second here):

1. Rule Breaking
So you take a first-tee Mulligan…big deal. Maybe on one hole you don’t feel like walking back to the tee to hit a provisional – instead, you take a stroke and drop a ball as if you were in a lateral water hazard…if I were playing with you, I wouldn’t complain. And perhaps you lip-out and pick-up, rather than tapping the last putt in – It wouldn’t be any skin off my back. This isn’t the tour – we’re here to have fun.

2. Cheating
You regularly employ winter rules, the toe iron, the hand wedge, the leather wedge, golfer math or any other tactics meant to deceive your fellow golf competitor.

So now that we’ve established the difference between rule-breakers and cheaters, I guess we should also consider the possibility some golfers neither cheat nor break any of the rules. Not cheating I can understand, but never breaking any of the rules? If these folks really do exist, then I hope they either (a) play golf for a living; or (b) are in therapy.

Time to take the poll and tell us if you’re a rule breaker, cheater or all-around goody two-shoes…

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POLL: How Often Do You Get New Golf Clubs?

February 16, 2016 | By Greg D'Andrea | 5 Comments

How many seasons can you go with the same set of golf clubs?

A few years ago, I asked how much you pay for a new set of irons (that poll is still open, so feel free to vote HERE)! Today I want to know how long you should play with golf clubs before deciding it’s time to purchase a new set.

I’ve had my current set for nearly a decade now and I think it might be time. But what’s normal? I suppose it depends somewhat on how often you play. But perhaps also on how much extra cash we have on hand? Take the poll below and let us know how often you buy new golf clubs…

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POLL: Are Golfers Unfriendly?

November 19, 2015 | By Greg D'Andrea | 7 Comments

*_{Are unfriendly people commonplace in golf? (photo by Greg D’Andrea)}*

If you think about it, golfer interaction on the course can be a bit curt…and it all starts pretty much as soon as you take your clubs out of the trunk.

It might not always be exactly like this, but…

The first whiff of unfriendliness is usually in the parking lot as you’re walking to the pro-shop. You’ll see a fellow golfer walking back to his car – typically muttering to himself about a triple bogie he took on 16. You’ll pass like ships in the night – nary a glance, let alone a word spoken towards each other. Ah, but that’s just a taste of what’s to come…

The unpleasantness continues once at the register to pay your greens fees. The Pro-Shop Punks behind the counter will inevitably mumble something about your tee-time (in some cases scold you if it’s less than 10 minutes prior to said time), take your hard-earned money without even a smile and promptly send you out to the starter.

Now on your way to the starter, even more uncomfortableness can ensue. First, you might be worried the starter will continue to lambaste you for being only 7 minutes early for your tee-time. But more importantly, you’re worried if they’ll pair you up with someone.

That’s right, I said it and you know it’s true. We golfers never want to get paired up with anyone – especially that single who gets added to your twosome or threesome. It just kills the camaraderie between you. Plus, the last thing we want is to spend the next 4 (or 5) hours embarrassing ourselves in front of total strangers. Yes, getting paired up with strangers adds a whole new meaning to first-tee jitters.

But this is nothing compared to the cast of characters you have to deal with once out on the course: The swing advice giver; the rulebook thumper; the backswing talker; the guy who can’t enjoy golf unless he’s drinking a beer on every hole. And let’s not forget about that arrogant SOB who claims he always shoots in the 70s but takes a double or triple on every hole.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying golf isn’t worth putting up with all of this stuff. I’ve been putting up with it for more than 25 years and I still love this game.

And I’m also not saying every pro-shop employee is a punk, or every starter is to be feared, nor every playing partner an ass. But there sure does seem to be a lot of jerks out there. Maybe it’s just a byproduct of the game itself or maybe golf just attracts less-than-friendly folks in general. Heck, maybe I’m among them!

And that brings me to today’s poll. Do you think the golfing community has a higher percentage of rude folks than in general life? Take the poll and feel free to elaborate in the comments…

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Is Golf Equipment on your Holiday Wish List?

Some golfers love receiving golf equipment as gifts, while others prefer to purchase their own clubs; balls; etc. Take our poll and let us know what your preference is!

POLL: Does the Type of Putter Matter?

POLL: How do you Cheat at Golf?

POLL: How Often Do You Get New Golf Clubs?

POLL: Are Golfers Unfriendly?

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